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THE   BOY   TAR; 


OR 


A    VOYAGE    IN    THE    DARK 


BY 

CAPTAIN  MAYNE  KEID, 

AUTHOR  OP  "the  DESERT  HOME,"   "THE  TOXJNG  VOTAGEURS," 
"  THE  BUSH  BOYS,"  ETC. 


WITH  TWELVE  ILLUSTRATIONS,  BY  CHARLES   S.  KEENE. 


BOSTON: 
TICKNOR   ANO    FIELDS 

M  DCCC  LX. 


AUTHOR  S    EDITION. 


MVERStDE,   CAMBRIDGE  : 

STEREOTYPED      AND     PRINTED     BT 

H.    0.    HOCrSHTON  AND   COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.   MY   BOY   AUDIENCE 1 

II.    SAVED    BY   SWANS 7 

III.  THE    "  UNDER-TOW  " 14 

IV.  THE    DINGY 22 

V.    THE    REEF 29 

VI.    THE    GULLS 86 

VII.    SEARCH    FOR   A   SEA-URCHIN 42 

VIII.    LOSS    OP    THE    DINGY 47 

IX.    THE    SIGNAL-STAFF 52 

X.    CLIMBING    A   S3IOOTH    POLE 58 

XI.    THE    RETURNING   TIDE 64 

XII.    HUGGING    THE     STAFF 69 

XIII.  A    STATE     OF    "  SUSPENSE  " 76 

XIV.  FOR    PERU TO-MORROW  ! 80 

XV.    RUNNING    AWAY 87 

XVI.    THE    "  INCA  "   AND   HER    CREW 94 

XVII.    NOT    BIG    ENOUGH  ! 101 

XVIII.    STEALING  ABOARD 106 

XIX.    HURRAH  !   WE  ARE    OFF  ! 113 

XX.    SEA-SICK 118 

XXI.    ENTOMBED     ALIVE  ! 124 

XXII.   THIRST 129 

XXIII.    A    SWEET     SOUND 133 

XXIV.    TAPPING    THE     BUTT < 138 

XXV.    THE     VENT-PEG 145 

XXVI.    THE     BISCUIT-BOX 150 

XXVII.   A   CASK    OF   BRANDY 156 

XXVIII.    GOING    ON    "  RATIONS  " 164 


^  THE    BOY    TAR. 

sobriquet  being  extended  to  me  as  the  only  person  in  the 
place  entitled  to  it. 

Strictly  speaking,  I  am  not  entitled  to  it.  I  have 
never  been  a  captain  of  soldiers,  nor  have  I  held  that 
rank  in  the  navy.  I  have  only  been  the  master  of  a 
merchant  vessel,  —  in  other  words,  a  "skipper."  But 
the  villagers  are  courteous,  and  by  their  politeness  I  am 
styled  "  Captain." 

They  know  that  I  live  in  a  pretty  cottage  about  half 
a  mile  from  the  village,  up  shore  ;  they  know  that  I  live 
alone  —  for  my  old  housekeeper  can  scarce  be  accounted 
as  company;  they  see  me  each  day  pass  through  the 
place  with  my  telescope  under  my  arm  ;  they  note  that 
I  walk  out  on  the  pier,  and  sweep  the  offing  with  my 
glass,  and  then,  perhaps,  return  home  again,  or  wander 
for  an  hour  or  two  along  the  shore.  Beyond  these 
facts,  my  fellow- villagers  know  but  little  of  myself,  my 
habits,  or  ray  history. 

They  have  a  belief  among  them  that  I  have  been 
a  great  traveller.  They  know  that  I  have  many  books, 
and  that  I  read  much  ;  and  they  have  got  it  into  their 
heads  that  I  am  a  wonderful  scholar. 

I  have  been  a  great  traveller,  and  am  a  great  reader, 
but  the  simple  villagers  are  mistaken  as  to  my  scholar- 
ship. In  my  youth  I  was  denied  the  advantages  of  a 
fine  education,  and  what  little  literary  knowledge  I  pos- 
sess has  been  acquired  by  self-instruction  —  hasty  and  in- 
terrupted —  during  the  brief  intervals  of  an  active  life. 

I  have  said  that  my  fellow-villagers  know  very  little 
about  me,  and  you  are  no  doubt  surprised  at  this  ;  since 
among  them  I  began  my  life,  and  among  them  I  have 
declared  my  intention  of  ending  it.     Their  ignorance  of 


MY    BOY    AUDIENCE.  3 

me  is  easily  explained.  I  was  but  twelve  years  of  age 
when  I  left  home,  and  for  forty  years  after  I  never  set 
foot  in  my  native  place,  nor  eyes  upon  any  of  its  inhab- 
itants. 

He  must  be  a  famous  man  who  would  be  remem- 
bered after  forty  years'  absence  ;  and  I,  scarce  a  boy  at 
going  forth,  returned  to  find  myself  quite  forgotten. 
Even  my  parents  were  scarce  remembered.  Both  had 
died  before  I  went  away  from  home,  and  while  I  was 
only  a  mere  lad.  Besides,  my  father,  who  was  a  mar- 
iner by  profession,  was  seldom  or  never  at  home,  and  I 
remember  little  else  about  him,  than  how  I  grieved 
when  the  news  came  that  his  ship  was  lost,  and  he  with 
most  of  his  crew  were  drowned.  Alas  !  my  mother 
did  not  long  survive  him  ;  and  their  death  occurring 
such  a  long  time  ago,  it  is  but  natural  that  both  should 
be  forgotten  among  a  people  with  whom  they  had  but 
shght  intercourse.  Thus,  then,  is  it  explained  how  I 
chance  to  be  such  a  stranger  in  my  native  place. 

But  you  are  not  to  suppose  that  I  am  lonely  or  with- 
out companions.  Though  I  have  ceased  to  follow  my 
profession  of  the  sea,  and  returned  home  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  my  days  in  a  quiet,  peaceful  way,  I  am  by 
no  means  of  an  unsocial  disposition  or  morose  habits. 
On  the  contrary,  I  am  fond,  as  I  have  ever  been,  of  so- 
cial intercourse ;  and  old  man  though  I  be,  I  take 
great  delight  in  the  society  of  young  people,  especially 
httle  boys.  I  can  boast,  too,  that  with  all  these  in  the 
village  I  am  a  favorite,  I  spend  hours  upon  hours  in 
helping  them  to  fly  their  kites,  and  sail  their  tiny  boats 
—  for  I  remember  how  much  delight  I  derived  from 
these  pastimes  when  Iwas  myself  a  boy. 


4  THE    BOY   TAR. 

As  I  take  part  in  their  sports,  little  do  the  simple 
children  think  that  the  gentle  old  man  who  can  so 
amuse  them  and  himself,  has  spent  most  of  his  life 
amidst  scenes  of  wild  adventure  and  deadly  peril ;  and 
yet  such  has  been  my  history. 

There  are  those  in  the  village,  however,  who  are  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  some  chapters  from  the  story  of  my 
life  —  passages  of  it  which  they  have  heard  from  my 
own  lips,  for  I  am  never  disinclined  to  relate  to  those 
who  may  be  worthy  of  hearing  it  any  interesting  adven- 
ture through  which  I  may  have  passed ;  and  even  in 
our  quiet  village  I  have  found  an  audience  that  merits 
the  narrator.  Schoolboys  have  been  my  listeners  ;  for 
there  is  a  famous  school  near  the  village  —  an  "  estab- 
lishment for  young  gentlemen "  it  is  styled  —  and  it  is 
from  this  I  draw  my  most  attentive  auditory. 

These  boys  and  I  used  to  meet  in  our  rambles  along 
the  shore,  and  observing  my  weather-beaten,  salt-water 
look,  they  fancied  that  I  could  tell  them  tales  of  wild 
scenes  and  strange  incidents  that  I  had  encountered  far 
over  the  sea.  Our  meetings  were  frequent  —  almost 
daily,  —  and  soon  a  friendly  acquaintance  sprung  up 
between  us ;  until,  at  their  solicitation,  I  began  to  re- 
late to  them  an  occasional  adventure  of  my  life.  Often 
I  may  have  been  observed,  seated  upon  the  "  bent " 
grass  of  the  beach,  encircled  by  a  crowd  of  these  well- 
dressed  youths,  whose  parted  lips  and  eager  eyes  beto- 
kened the  interest  they  felt  in  my  narrations. 

I  am  not  ashamed  to  declare  that  I,  too,  felt  pleasure 
in  this  sort  of  thing,  like  all  old  soldiers  and  sailors,  who 
proverbially  delight  to  "  fight  their  battles  o'er  again." 

These  desultory  recitals  continued  for  some  time,  un- 


MY    BOY    AUDIENCE.  O 

til  one  day,  as  I  met  my  young  friends  in  the  ordinary 
way,  only  somewhat  earlier  than  'common,  I  saw  that 
there  was  something  unusual  in  the  wind.  They  mus- 
tered stronger  than  was  their  wont,  and  I  noticed  that 
one  of  them  —  the  biggest  boy  of  the  crowd  —  held  a 
folded  paper  in  his  hand,  upon  which  I  could  perceive 
there  was  writing. 

As  I  drew  near,  the  paper  was  placed  in  my  hands 
without  a  word  being  said ;  and  I  saw  by  the  super- 
scription that  it  was  directed  to  myself. 

I  opened  the  paper,  and  soon  perceived  the  nature  of 
its  contents.  It  was  a  "  petition  "  signed  by  all  the  boys 
present.     It  ran  thus :  — 

"  Dear  Captain,  —  "We  have  been  allowed  holiday 
for  the  whole  of  to-day ;  and  we  know  of  no  way  in 
which  we  could  spend  it  with  so  much  of  pleasure  and 
profit,  as  by  listening  to  you.  We  have  therefore  taken 
the  liberty  of  asking  you  to  indulge  us,  by  the  narration 
of  some  remarkable  incident  that  has  happened  to  you. 
A  stirring  passage  we  should  prefer,  for  we  know  that 
many  of  these  have  befallen  you  during  your  adventu- 
rous life  ;  but  choose  whatever  one  it  may  be  most  pleas- 
ant for  you  to  relate ;  and  we  shall  promise  to  listen  at- 
tentively, since  one  and  all  of  us  know  that  it  will  be  an 
easy  thing  to  keep  that  promise.  And  now,  dear  cap- 
tain, grant  us  the  favor  we  ask,  and  your  petitioners 
shall  be  forever  grateful." 

Such  a  polite  request  could  not  be  refused  ;  and  with- 
out hesitation  I  declared  my  intention  to  gratify  my 
young  friends  with  a  chapter  from  my  life.     The  chap- 


6  THE    BOY    TAR. 

ter  chosen  was  one  which  I  thought  would  be  most  in- 
teresting to  them  — as  it  gaTC  some  account  of  my  own 
boy-life,  and  of  my  first  voyage  to  sea  —  which,  from 
the  odd  circumstances  under  which  it  was  made,  I  have 
termed  a  "  Voyage  in  the  Dark." 

Seating  myself  upon  the  pebbly  beach,  in  full  view 
of  the  bright  sea,  and  placing  my  auditory  around  me, 
I  began. 


CHAPTER  n. 

SAVED    BY    SWANS. 

From  my  earliest  days,  I  was  fond  of  the  water  — 
instinctively  so.  Had  I  been  born  a  duck,  or  a  water- 
dog,  I  could  not  have  hked  it  better.  My  father  had 
been  a  seaman,  and  his  father  before  him,  and  grand- 
father too ;  so  that  perhaps  I  inherited  the  instinct. 
Whether  or  not,  my  aquatic  tastes  were  as  strong  as  if 
the  water  had  been  my  natural  element ;  and  I  have 
been  told  —  though  I  do  not  myself  remember  it,  that 
when  still  but  a  mere  child,  it  was  with  difficulty  I 
could  be  kept  out  of  puddles  and  ponds.  In  fact,  the 
first  adventure  of  my  life  occurred  in  a  pond,  and  that 
I  remember  well.  Though  it  was  neither  so  strange 
nor  so  terrible  as  many  adventures  that  befell  me  after- 
wards, still  it  was  rather  a  curious  one,  and  I  shaU  give 
you  it,  as  illustrating  the  early  'penchant  I  had  for 
aquatic  pursuits.  I  was  but  a  very  little  boy  at  the 
time,  and  the  odd  incident  occurring,  as  it  were,  at  the 
very  threshold  of  ray  life,  seemed  to  foreshadow  the 
destiny  of  my  future  career  —  that  I  was  to  experience, 
as  in  reality  I  have  experienced,  many  vicissitudes  and 
adventures. 

I  have  said,  I  was  but  a  very  little  boy  at  the  time  — 


8  THE    BOY    TAR. 

just  big  enough  to  go  about,  and  just  of  that  age  when 
boys  take  to  sailing  paper  boats.  I  knew  how  to  con- 
struct these  out  of  the  leaf  of  an  old  book,  or  a  piece 
of  a  newspaper  ;  —  and  often  had  I  sent  them  on  voy- 
ages across  the  duck-pond,  which  was  my  ocean.  I  may 
say,  I  had  got  a  step  beyond  the  mere  paper  boats  ;  — 
with  my  six  months'  stock  of  pocket-money,  which  I 
had  saved  for  the  purpose,  I  had  succeeded  in  purchas- 
ing a  full-rigged  sloop,  from  an  old  fisherman,  who  had 
*'  built"  her  during  his  hours  of  leisure.  She  was  only 
six  inches  in  length  of  keel,  by  less  than  three  in  breadth 
of  beam,  and  her  tonnage,  if  registered  —  which  it  nev- 
er was  —  would  have  been  about  half  a  pound  avoir- 
dupois. A  small  craft  you  will  style  her ;  but  at  that 
time,  in  my  eyes,  she  was  as  grand  as  a  three-decker. 

I  esteemed  her  too  large  for  the  duck-pond,  and  re- 
solved to  go  in  search  of  a  piece  of  water  where  she 
should  have  more  room  to  exhibit  her  sailing  qualities. 

This  I  soon  found  in  the  shape  of  a  very  large  pond 
—  or  lake,  I  should  rather  call  it  —  where  the  water 
was  clear  as  crystal,  and  where  there  was  usually  a  nice 
light  breeze  playing  over  the  surface  —  just  strong 
enough  to  fill  the  sails,  and  drive  my  little  sloop  along 
like  a  bird  on  the  wing  —  so  that  she  often  crossed  the 
pond  before  I  myself  could  get  round  to  the  other  side 
to  receive  her  into  my  hands  again. 

Many  a  race  have  I  had  with  my  little  sloop,  in  which 
sometimes  she,  and  sometimes  I,  proved  victorious, 
according  as  the  wind  was  favorable  or  unfavorable  to 
her  course. 

Now  this  pretty  pond  —  by  the  shores  of  which  I 
used  to  delight  myself,  and  where  I  spent  many  of  the 


SAVED    BY    SWANS.  9 

happiest  hours  of  mj  boyhood  —  was  not  public  prop- 
erty. It  was  situated  in  a  gentleman's  park,  that  ex- 
tended backward  from  the  end  of  the  village,  and  the 
pond  of  course  belonged  to  the  owner  of  the  park.  He 
was  a  kind  and  liberal  gentleman,  however,  and  permit- 
ted the  villagers  to  go  through  his  grounds  whenever 
they  pleased,  and  did  not  object  to  the  boys  saihng  their 
boats  upon  the  ornamental  water,  or  even  playing  crick- 
et in  one  of  his  fields,  provided  they  did  not  act  rudely 
or  destroy  any  of  the  shrubs  or  plants  that  grew  along 
the  walks.  It  was  very  kind  and  good  of  him  to  allow 
this  freedom  ;  and  we,  the  boys  of  the  village,  were 
sensible  of  this,  and  I  think  on  the  whole  we  behaved 
as  if  we  were  so ;  for  I  never  heard  of  any  damage 
being  done  that  was  deemed  worthy  of  complaint. 
The  park  and  pond  are  there  still  —  you  all  know 
them  ?  —  but  the  kind  gentleman  I  speak  of  has  long 
since  left  this  world  ;  for  he  was  an  old  gentleman  then, 
and  that  is  sixty  years  ago. 

Upon  the  little  lake,  there  was  at  that  time  a  flock  of 
swans  —  six,  if  I  remember  aright  —  besides  other  wa- 
ter-fowl of  rare  kinds.  The  boys  took  great  delight  in 
feeding  these  pretty  creatures  ;  and  it  was  a  common 
thing  for  one  or  other  of  us  to  bring  pieces  of  bread, 
and  chuck  them  to  the  water-fowl.  For  my  part,  I  was 
very  fond  of  this  little  piece  of  extravagance  ;  and, 
whenever  I  had  the  opportunity,  I  came  to  the  lake 
with  my  pockets  crammed. 

The  fowls,  and  especially  the  swans,  under  this  treat- 
ment had  grown  so  tame,  that  they  would  eat  out  of 
our  hands,  without  exhibiting  the  shghtest  fear  of  us. 

There  was  a  particular  way  of  giving  them  their 
1* 


10  THE    BOY    TAR. 

food,  in  which  we  used  to  take  great  delight.  On  one 
side  of  the  lake,  there  was  a  bank  that  rose  three  feet  or 
so  above  the  surface  of  the  water.  Here  the  pond  was 
deep,  and  there  was  no  chance  for  either  the  swans,  or 
any  other  creature,  to  land  at  this  place  without  taking 
to  wing.  The  bank  was  steep,  without  either  shelf  or 
stair  to  ascend  by.  In  fact,  it  rather  hung  over,  than 
shelved. 

At  this  point  we  used  to  meet  the  swans,  that  were 
always  ready  to  come  when  they  saw  us  ;  and  then, 
placing  the  piece  of  bread  in  the  split  end  of  a  rod,  and 
holding  it  out  high  above  them,  we  enjoyed  the  spectacle 
of  the  swans  stretching  up  their  long  necks,  and  occa- 
sionally leaping  upward  out  of  the  water  to  snatch  it, 
just  as  dogs  would  have  done.  All  this,  you  will  per- 
ceive, was  rare  fun  for  boys. 

Now  I  come  to  the  promised  adventure. 

One  day,  I  had  proceeded  to  the  pond,  carrying  my 
sloop  with  me  as  usual.  It  was  at  an  early  hour ;  and 
on  reaching  the  ground,  I  found  that  none  of  my  com- 
panions had  yet  arrived.  I  launched  my  sloop,  how- 
ever ;  and  then  walked  around  the  shore  to  meet  her 
on  the  bpposite  side. 

There  was  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind,  and  the  sloop 
sailed  slowly.  I  was  therefore  in  no  hurry,  but  saun- 
tered along  at  my  leisure.  On  leaving  home  I  had  not 
forgotten  the  swans,  which  were  my  great  pets  :  such 
favorites,  indeed,  that  I  very  much  fear  they  induced 
me  on  more  than  one  occasion  to  commit  small  thefts 
for  them  ;  since  the  slices  of  bread  with  which  my 
pockets  were  crammed,  had  been  rather  surreptitiously 
obtained  from  the  domestic  larder. 


SAVED    BY    SWANS.  11 

Be  tliis  as  it  maj,  I  had  brought  their  allowance  along 
with  me  ;  and  on  reaching  the  high  bank,  I  halted  to 
give  it  them. 

All  six,  who  knew  me  well,  with  proud  arching  necks 
and  wongs  slightly  elevated,  came  gliding  rapidly  across 
the  pond  to  meet  me  ;  and  in  a  few  seconds  arrived  un- 
der the  bank,  where  they  moved  about  with  upstretched 
beaks,  and  eyes  eagerly  scanning  my  movements. 
They  knew  that  I  had  called  them  thither  to  be  kind  to 
them. 

Having  procured  a  slight  sapling,  and  split  it  at  the 
end,  I  placed  a  piece  of  bread  in  the  notch,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  amuse  myself  with  the  manoeuvres  of  the  birds. 

One  piece  after  another  was  snatched  away  from  the 
stick,  and  I  had  nearly  emptied  my  pockets,  when  all  at 
once  the  sod  upon  which  I  was  standing  gave  way  un- 
der me,  and  I  fell  plump  into  the  water. 

I  fell  with  a  plunge  like  a  large  stone,  and  as  I  could 
not  swim  a  stroke,  I  should  have  gone  to  the  bottom 
like  one,  but  it  so  happened  that  I  came  down  right  in 
the  middle  of  the  swans,  who  were  no  doubt  taken  as 
much  by  surprise  as  myself. 

Now  it  was  not  through  any  peculiar  presence  of 
mind  on  my  part,  but  simply  from  the  instinct  of  self- 
preservation,  which  is  common  to  every  living  creature, 
that  I  made  an  effort  to  save  myself.  This  I  did  by 
throwing  out  my  hands,  and  endeavoring  to  seize  hold 
of  something,  just  as  drowning  men  will  catch  even  at 
straws.  But  I  caught  something  better  than  a  straw, 
for  I  chanced  to  seize  upon  the  leg  of  one  of  the  big- 
gest and  strongest  of  the  swans,  and  to  that  I  held  on, 
as  if  my  life  depended  on  my  not  letting  it  go. 


12  THE    BOY    TAR. 

At  the  first  plunge  my  eyes  and  ears  had  been  filled 
with  water,  and  I  was  hardly  sensible  of  what  I  was  do- 
ing. I  could  hear  a  vast  splashing  and  spluttering  as 
the  birds  scattered  away  in  affright,  but  in  another  sec- 
ond of  time  I  had  consciousness  enough  to  perceive  that 
I  had  got  hold  of  the  leg  of  the  swan,  and  was  being 
towed  rapidly  through  the  water.  I  had  sense  enough 
to  retain  my  hold ;  and  in  less  time  than  I  have  taken 
to  tell  it,  I  was  dragged  better  than  half  across  the 
pond  —  which,  after  all,  was  but  a  short  distance.  The 
swan  made  no  attempt  to  swim,  but  rather  fluttered 
along  the  surface,  using  his  wings,  and  perhaps  the  leg 
that  was  still  free,  to  propel  himself  forward.  Terror, 
no  doubt,  had  doubled  both  his  strength  and  his  ener- 
gies, else  he  could  never  have  towed  such  a  weight,  big 
and  strong  as  he  was.  How  long  the  affair  would  have 
lasted,  it  is  hard  to  say.  Not  very  long,  however. 
The  bird  might  have  kept  above  water  a  good  while, 
but  I  could  not  have  held  out  much  longer.  I  was 
every  moment  being  ducked  under,  the  water  at  each 
immersion  getting  into  my  mouth  and  nostrils.  I  was 
fast  losing  consciousness,  and  would  soon  have  been 
forced  to  let  go. 

Just  at  this  crisis,  to  my  great  joy,  I  felt  something 
touch  me  underneath ;  some  rough  object  had  struck 
against  my  knees.  It  was  the  stones  and  gravel  at  the 
bottom  of  the  lake  ;  and  I  perceived  that  I  was  now  in 
water  of  no  great  depth.  The  bird,  in  struggling  to 
escape,  had  passed  over  the  portion  of  the  lake  where 
it  was  deep  and  dangerous,  and  was  now  close  to  the 
edge,  where  it  shoaled. 

I  did  not  hesitate  a  moment ;  I  was  only  too  glad  to 


SAVED    BY    SWANS.  13 

put  an  end  to  the  towing  match,  and  therefore  released 
my  grasp  from  the  leg  of  the  swan.  The  bird,  thus 
lightened,  immediately  took  to  wing ;  and,  screeching 
like  a  wild  fowl,  rose  high  into  the  air. 

For  myself,  I  found  bottom  at  once,  and  after  some 
staggering,  and  a  good  deal  of  sneezing  and  hiccough- 
ing, I  regained  my  feet ;  and  then,  wading  out,  stood 
once  more  safe  upon  terra  jirma. 

I  was  so  badly  terrified  by  the  incident  that  I  never 
thought  of  looking  after  my  sloop.  Leaving  her  to  fin- 
ish her  voyage  as  she  might,  I  ran  away  as  fast  as  my 
legs  would  carry  me,  and  never  made  halt  or  pause  till 
I  had  reached  home,  and  stood  with  dripping  garments 
in  front  of  the  fire. 


CHAPTER  ni. 

THE    "  UNDER-TOW." 

You  will  fancy  that  the  lesson  I  had  thus  received 
should  have  been  a  warning  to  me  to  keep  away  from 
the  water.  Not  so,  however.  So  far  as  that  went,  the 
ducking  did  me  no  good  though  it  proved  beneficial  in 
other  respects.  It  taught  me  the  danger  of  getting  into 
water  over  one's  depth  —  which  I  had  before  then  but 
little  appreciated  ;  and  young  as  I  was,  I  perceived  the 
advantage  of  being  able  to  swim.  The  peril  from 
which  I  had  so  narrowly  escaped,  stimulated  me  to  form 
a  resolve,  and  that  was  —  to  learn  the  art  of  swimming. 

I  was  encouraged  in  this  resolution  by  my  mother, 
as  also  by  a  letter  received  from  my  father,  who  was 
then  abroad ;  and  in  which  he  gave  directions  that  I 
should  be  taught  to  swim  in  the  best  manner.  It  was 
just  what  I  desired,  and  with  the  intention  of  becoming 
a  firstrate  swimmer,  I  went  about  it  in  right  earnest. 
Once  and  sometimes  twice  each  day  during  the  warm 
weather  —  that  is,  after  school  was  out  —  I  betook  my- 
self to  the  water,  where  I  might  be  seen  splashing  and 
spluttering  about  like  a  young  porpoise.  Some  bigger 
boys,  who  had  already  learnt  to  swim,  gave  m*e  alesson 
or  two ;  and  I  soon  experienced  the  delightful   sensa- 


THE    "  UNDER-TOW."  15 

tion  of  being  able  to  float  upon  my  back  without  assist- 
ance from  any  one.  I  well  remember  how  proud  I 
felt  on  the  occasion  when  I  first  accomplished  this  nata- 
torial feat. 

And  here,  young  reader,  let  me  advise  you  by  all 
means  to  imitate  my  example,  and  leai-n  to  swim.  You 
know  not  how  soon  you  may  stand  in  need  of  a  knowl- 
edge of  this  useful  art ;  how  soon  you  may  be  called 
upon  to  practise  it  perforce.  You  know  not  but  that 
sooner  or  later  it  may  be  the  means  of  saving  your  life. 

At  the  present  time,  the  chances  of  death  by  drown- 
ing are  multiplied  far  beyond  anything  of  the  kind  in 
past  ages.  Almost  everybody  now  travels  across  seas, 
oceans,  and  upon  large  rivers,  and  the  number  of  peo- 
ple who  annually  risk  their  lives  on  the  water,  voyaging 
on  business,  pleasure,  or  in  the  way  of  emigration,  is 
scarce  credible.  Of  these,  a  proportion  —  in  stormy 
years  a  large  one  —  perish  by  drowning. 

I  do  not  mean  to  assert  that  a  swimmer  —  even  the 
best  —  if  cast  away  at  a  great  distance  from  shore,  — 
in  mid- Atlantic,  for  instance,  or  even  in  the  middle  of 
the  English  Channel  —  would  have  any  prospect  of 
swimming  to  land.  That,  of  course,  would  be  imprac- 
ticable. But  there  are  often  other  chances  of  life  being 
saved,  besides  that  of  getting  to  land.  A  boat  may  be 
reached,  a  spar,  an  empty  hencoop  or  barrel ;  and  there 
are  many  instances  on  record  of  lives  having  been  sav- 
ed by  such  slight  means.  Another  vessel,  too,  may  be 
in  sight,  may  hasten  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  and  the 
strong  swimmer  may  be  still  afloat  upon  her  arrival ; 
while  those  who  could  not  swim,  must  of  course  have 
gone  to  the  bottom. 


16  THE    BOY    TAR. 

But  you  must  know  that  it  is  neither  in  the  middle 
of  the  Atlantic,  nor  of  any  great  ocean,  that  most  ves- 
sels are  wrecked  and  lives  are  lost.  Some  are,  it  is  true 
—  when  a  storm  rages  with  extreme  fury,  "  blowing 
great  guns,"  as  the  seamen  phrase  it,  and  blowing  a 
ship  almost  to  atoms.  These  events,  however,  are  ex- 
ti'emely  rare,  and  bear  but  a  small  proportion  to  the  num- 
ber of  wrecks  that  take  place  within  sight  of  the  shore, 
and  frequently  upon  the  beach  itself.  It  is  in  "  casta- 
ways "  of  this  kind,  that  the  greatest  number  of  lives  are 
sacrificed,  under  circumstances  when,  by  a  knowledge 
of  the  art  of  swimming,  many  of  them  might  have  been 
saved.  Not  a  year  passes,  but  there  is  a  record  of 
hundreds  of  individuals  who  have  been  drowned  witliin 
cable's  length  of  the  shore  —  ships  full  of  emigrants, 
soldiers,  and  sailors,  have  sunk  with  all  on  board,  leav- 
ing only  a  few  good  swimmers  survivors  of  the  wreck  ! 
Similar  "  accidents  "  occur  in  rivers,  scarce  two  hundred 
yards  in  width  ;  and  you  yourselves  are  acquainted  with 
the  annual  drownings,  even  in  the  narrow  and  icy  Ser- 
pentine ! 

With  these  facts  before  the  eyes  of  the  world,  you 
will  wonder  that  the  world  does  not  take  warning,  and 
at  once  learn  to  swim. 

It  may  be  wondered,  too,  that  governments  do  not 
compel  the  youth  to  learn  this  simple  accomplishment ; 
but  that  indeed  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at,  since  the 
business  of  governments  in  all  ages  has  been  rather  to 
tax  than  to  teach  their  people. 

It  seems  to  me,  however,  that  it  would  be  a  very  easy 
thing  for  governments  to  compel  all  those  who  travel 
by  ships,  to  provide  themselves  with  a  life-preserver. 


THE    "  UNDEK-TOW."  17 

By  this  cheap  and  simple  contrivance,  I  am  prepared 
to  show  that  thousands  of  Hves  would  be  annually  sav- 
ed ;  and  no  one  would  grumble  at  either  the  cost  or  in- 
convenience of  carrying  so  useful  an  article. 

Governments  take  special  care  to  tax  travellers  for  a 
piece  of  worthless  paper,  called  a  passport.  Once  you 
have  paid  for  this,  it  signifies  not  to  them  how  soon  you 
and  your  passport  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

Well,  young  reader,  whether  it  be  the  desire  of  your 
government  or  not,  take  a  hint  from  me,  and  make  your- 
self a  good  swimmer.  Set  about  it  at  once  —  that  is  if 
the  weather  be  warm  enough  —  and  don't  miss  a  day 
while  it  continues  so.  Be  a  swimmer  before  you  be- 
come a  man  ;  for  when  you  have  reached  manhood,  you 
will  most  probably  find  neither  time,  opportunity,  nor 
inclination  to  practice  ;  besides,  you  may  run  many  risks 
of  being  drowned  long  before  there  is  hair  upon  your  lip. 

For  myself,  I  have  had  a  variety  of  hairbreadth  es- 
capes from  drowning.  The  very  element  which  I  loved 
so  dearly,  seemed  the  most  desirous  of  making  a  victim 
of  me ;  and  I  should  have  deemed  it  ungrateful,  had  I 
not  known  that  the  wild  billows  were  unreasoning,  irre- 
sponsible creatures  ;  and  I  had  too  recklessly  laid  "  my 
hand  upon  their  mane." 

It  was  but  a  few  weeks  after  my  ducking  in  the  pond, 
and  I  had  already  taken  several  swimming  lessons,  when 
I  came  very  near  making  my  last  essay  at  this  aquatic 
exercise. 

It  was  not  in  the  pond  that  the  incident  occurred  — 
for  that,  being  a  piece  of  ornamental  water,  and  private 
property,  as  I  have  told  you,  was  not  permitted  to  b« 
used  as  a  bathing  place. 


18  THE    BOY    TAR. 

But  tlie  people  of  a  sea-shore  town  need  no  lake  in 
which  to  disport  themselves.  The  great  salt  sea  gives 
them  a  free  bath,  and  our  village  had  its  bathing  beach 
in  common  ,%vith  others  of  its  kind.  Of  course,  then, 
mj  swimming  lessons  were  taken  in  salt  water. 

The  beach  which  was  habitually  used  by  the  villagers, 
had  not  the  best  name  as  a  bathing  place.  It  was  pret- 
ty enough,  with  yellow  sand,  white  shells,  and  pebbles  ; 
but  there  was  what  is  termed  an  "  under-tow  "  —  in  one 
particular  place  stronger  than  elsewhere ;  and  at  times 
it  was  a  dangerous  matter  to  get  within  the  influence  of 
this  "  under-tow,"  unless  the  person  so  exposing  himself 
was  a  good  and  strong  swimmer. 

There  was  a  legend  among  the  villagers,  that  some 
one  had  been  drowned  by  this  current ;  but  that  was  an 
occurrence  of  long  ago,  and  had  almost  ceased  to  be 
talked  about.  There  were  also  one  or  two  more  mod- 
ern instances  of  bathers  being  carried  out  to  sea,  but 
finally  saved  by  boats  sent  after  them. 

I  remember  at  that  time  having  been  struck  with  a 
fact  relating  to  these  mishaps ;  and  this  was,  that  the 
older  inhabitants  of  the  village,  and  they  who  were  of 
most  consequence  in  the  place,  never  liked  to  talk  about 
them ;  either  shrugging  their  shoulders  and  remain- 
ing silent,  or  giving  the  legends  a  flat  contradiction. 
Some  of  them  even  went  so  far  as  to  deny  the  existence 
of  an  "  under-tov/,"  while  others  contented  themselves 
by  asserting  that  it  was  perfectly  harmless.  I  always 
noticed,  however,  that  parents  would  not  permit  their 
boys  to  bathe  near  the  place  where  the  dangerous  cur- 
rent was  represented  to  exist. 

I  never  knew  the  reason  why  the  villagers  were  so 


THE    ^  imDER-TOW."  19 

unwilling  to  acknowledge  the  "  under-tow,"  and  the  tnith 
of  the  stories  connected  therewith.  That  is,  I  knew  it 
not  until  long,  long  afterwards  —  until  I  came  home 
again  after  mj  forty  years  of  adventure.  On  my  re- 
turn I  found  the  same  silence  and  shrugging  of  the 
shoulders,  although  by  a  generation  of  villagers  alto- 
gether different  from  those  I  had  left  behind.  And  this, 
too,  notwithstanding  that  several  accidents  had  occurred 
in  my  absence,  to  prove  that  the  "  under-tow"  did  actual 
ly  exist,  and  that  it  was  actually  dangerous. 

But  I  was  then  older  and  better  able  to  reason  about 
men's  motives,  and  I  soon  fathomed  the  mystery.  It 
was  this  :  our  village  is,  as  you  know,  what  is  called  a 
"watering-place,"  and  derived  some  support  from  vis- 
itors who  came  to  it  to  spend  a  few  weeks  of  their  sum- 
mer. It  is  a  watering-place  upon  a  small  scale,  it  is 
true,  but  were  there  to  be  much  talk  about  the  "un- 
der-tow," or  too  much  credence  given  to  legends  of  peo- 
ple who  have  been  drowned  by  it,  it  would  become  a 
watering-place  on  a  still  smaller  scale,  or  might  cease 
to  be  one  altogether.  Therefore  the  less  you  say  of  the 
"  under-tow,"  the  better  for  your  own  popularity  among 
the  wise  men  of  the  village. 

Now,  my  young  friends,  I  have  been  making  a  long 
story  about  what  you  will  deem  a  very  ordinary  advent- 
ure, after  all.  It  is  simply  to  end  by  my  telHng  you  that 
I  was  drowned  by  the  "  under-tow  "  —  actually  drowned  I 

You  will  say  that  I  could  not  have  been  drowned  dead 
—  though  that  is  a  doubtful  point,  for,  as  far  as  my  feel- 
ings were  concerned,  I  am  certain  I  should  not  have 
known  it  had  I  never  been  restored  to  life  again.  No, 
I  should  not  have  felt  pain  had  I  been  cut  into  a  hun- 


20  THE    BOY    TAR. 

dred  pieces  while  I  was  in  that  state,  nor  would  I  ever 
have  come  to  life  again  had  it  not  been  for  somebody 
else.  That  somebody  else  was  a  fine  young  waterman 
of  our  village,  by  name  Harry  Blew,  and  to  him 
was  I  indebted  for  my  second  life. 

The  incident,  as  I  have  said,  was  of  the  ordinary 
kind,  but  I  relate  it  to  show  how  I  became  acquainted 
with  Harry  Blew,  whose  acquaintance  and  example 
had  an  important  influence  on  my  after-life. 

I  had  gone  to  the  beach  to  bathe  as  usual,  at  a  point 
new  to  me,  and  where  I  had  not  seen  many  people 
bathe  before.  It  chanced  to  be  one  of  the  worst  places 
for  this  "  under-tow,"  and  shortly  after  entering  the  wa- 
ter I  got  into  its  gripe,  and  was  drawn  outward  into  the 
open  sea,  far  beyond  the  distance  I  could  have  swum 
back.  As  much  from  terror,  that  paralyzed  my 
strength,  as  aught  else,  —  for  I  was  aware  of  my  dan- 
ger, —  I  could  swim  no  further,  but  sank  to  the  bottom 
like  a  piece  of  lead ! 

I  did  not  know  that  I  had  ever  come  up  again.  I 
knew  nothing  at  all  about  what  happened  after.  I  only 
remembered  seeing  a  boat  near  me,  and  a  man  in  it ; 
and  then  all  was  dark,  and  I  heard  a  loud  rumbling  hke 
thunder  in  my  ears,  and  my  consciousness  went  out  like 
the  snuffing  of  a  candle. 

It  returned  again,  thanks  to  young  Harry  Blew,  and 
when  I  knew  that  I  was  still  alive,  I  reopened  my 
eyes,  and  saw  a  man  kneeling  above  me,  rubbing  me 
all  over  with  his  hands,  and  pushing  my  belly  up  under 
my  ribs,  and  blowing  into  my  mouth,  and  tickling  my 
nostrils  with  a  feather,  and  performing  a  great  variety 
of  such  antic  manoeuvres  upon  me. 


THE    "  UNDER-TOW."  21 

That  was  Harry  Blew  bringing  me  to  life  again  ;  and 
as  soon  as  he  had  partially  succeeded,  he  lifted  me  up 
in  his  arms  and  carried  me  home  to  my  mother,  who 
was  nearly  distracted  on  receiving  me  ;  and  then  wine 
was  poured  down  my  throat,  and  hot  bricks  and  bottles 
were  put  to  my  feet,  and  my  nose  anointed  with  harts- 
horn, and  my  body  rolled  in  warm  blankets,  and  many 
other  appliances  were  administered,  and  many  remedies 
had  I  to  take,  before  my  friends  considered  the  danger 
to  be  over,  and  that  I  should  be  likely  to  live. 

But  it  was  all  over  at  length,  and  in  twenty  hours' 
time  I  was  on  my  feet  again,  and  as  brisk  and  well  as 
ever. 

I  had  now  had  my  warning  of  the  water,  if  that  could 
have  been  of  any  service.  But  it  was  not,  as  the  se- 
quel will  show. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE    DINGY. 


No  —  the  warning  was  all  in  vain.  Even  the  nar- 
row escape  I  had  had,  did  not  cure  me  of  my  fondness 
for  being  on  the  water,  but  rather  had  an  opposite  eflfect. 

The  acquaintance  thus  singularly  formed  between  the 
young  waterman  and  myself,  soon  ripened  into  a  strong 
feeling  of  friendship.  His  name,  as  I  have  said,  was 
Harry  Blew,  and  —  if  I  may  be  allowed  to  play  upon 
the  word  —  he  was  "  true  blue,"  for  he  was  gifted  with 
a  heart  as  kind  as  it  was  brave.  I  need  hardly  add 
that  I  grew  vastly  fond  of  him,  and  he  appeared  to  re- 
ciprocate the  feeling,  for  he  acted  towards  me  from 
that  time  forward  as  if  I  had  saved  his  life,  instead  of 
its  being  the  other  way.  He  took  great  pains  to  make 
me  perfect  in  swimming;  and  he  also  taught  me  the 
use  of  the  oar ;  so  that  in  a  short  time  I  was  able  to 
row  in  a  very  creditable  manner,  and  far  better  than 
any  boy  of  my  age  or  size.  I  even  attained  to  such  pro- 
ficiency that  I  could  manage  a  pair  of  oars,  and  pull 
about  without  any  assistance  from  my  instructor.  This 
I  esteemed  a  great  feat,  and  I  was  not  a  little  proud 
when  I  was  intrusted  (as  was  frequently  the  case)  to  take 
the  young  waterman's  boat  from  the  little  cove  where  he 


THE    DINGY.  23 

kept  her,  to  some  point  on  the  beach  where  he  might  be 
waiting  to  take  up  a  fare.  Perhaps  in  passing  an 
anchored  sloop,  or  near  the  beach,  where  some  people 
might  be  sauntering,  I  may  have  heard  remarks  made 
in  a  sneering  tone,  such  as,  "  You  are  a  queer  chap  to 
be  handlin'  a  pair  o'  oars  !  "  or  "  Oh,  jimminj  !  Look 
at  that  millikin  pin,  boys ! "  And  then  I  could  hear 
other  jeers  mingled  with  shouts  of  laughter.  But  this 
did  not  mortify  me  in  the  least.  On  the  contrary,  I 
felt  proud  to  show  them  that,  small  as  I  was,  I  could 
propel  my  craft  in  the  right  direction,  and  perhaps  as 
rapidly  as  many  of  them  that  were  even  twice  ray  size. 
After  a  time  I  heard  no  more  of  these  taunts,  unless 
now  and  then  from  some  stranger  to  the  place.  The 
people  of  our  village  soon  learned  how  well  I  could 
manage  a  boat ;  and  small  as  I  was,  they  held  me 
in  respect  —  at  all  events,  they  no  longer  jeered  at 
me.  Often  they  would  call  me  the  "  little  waterman," 
or  the  "  young  sailor,"  or  still  oftener  was  I  known  by 
the  name  of  the  "  Boy  Tar."  It  was  my  father's  de- 
sign that,  like  himself,  I  should  follow  the  sea  as  a 
calling ;  and  had  he  lived  to  make  another  voyage,  it 
was  his  intention  to  have  taken  me  away  with  him. 
I  was  encouraged,  therefore,  in  these  ideas  ;  and  more- 
over, my  mother  always  dressed  me  in  sailor  costume 
of  the  most  approved  pattern  —  blue  cloth  jacket  and 
trousers,  with  black  silk  handkerchief  and  folding  col- 
lar. Of  all  this  I  was  very  proud,  and  it  was  my 
costume  as  much  as  aught  else,  that  led  to  my  receiv- 
ing the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Boy  Tar."  This  title 
pleased  me  best  of  any,  for  it  was  Harry  Blew  that 
first  bestowed  it  on  me,  and  from  the  day  that  he  saved 


24  THE   BOY   TAR. 

rae  from  drowning,  I  regarded  him  as  mj  true  friend 
and  protector. 

He  was  at  this  time  rather  a  prosperous  young  fel- 
low, himself  owner  of  his  boat  —  naj,  better   still,  he 
had  two  boats.     One  was  much  bigger  than  the  other 
—  the  yawl,  as  he  styled  her  —  and  this  was  the  one 
he  mostly  used,  especially  when  three  or  four  persons 
wanted  a  sail.     The  lesser  boat  was  a  little  "  dingy  " 
he  had  just  purchased,  and  which  for  convenience  he 
took  with  him  when  his  fare  was  only  a  single  passen- 
ger, since  the  labor  of  rowing  it  was  much  less.     In 
the  watering  season,  however,  the  larger  boat  was  more 
often  required  —  since   parties  of  pleasure  were  out 
every  day  in  it,  and  at  such  times  the  little  one  lay 
idle  at  its  moorings.     I  was  then  welcome  to  the  use 
of  it  for  my  own  pleasure,  and  could  take  it  when  I 
liked,  either  by  myself  or  with  a  companion,  if  I  chose 
to   have  one.     It  became  my  custom,  therefore,  after 
school  hours,  or  indeed  whenever  I  had  any  spare  time, 
to  be  off  to  the  dingy,  and  rowing  it  all  about  the  har 
bor.     I  was  rarely  without  a    companion  —  for   more 
than  one  of  my  school-fellows  relished   this  sort   of 
thing  —  and  many  of  them  even  envied  me  the  fine 
privilege  I  had  in  being  almost  absolute  master  of  a 
boat.     Of  course,  whenever  I  desired  company,  I  had 
no  need  to  go  alone;  it  was  not  often  that  I  was  so. 
Some  one  or  other  of  the  boys  was  my  companion  on 
every  excursion  that  was  made,  and  these  were  almost 
daily  —  at  least,  every  day  on  which  the  weather  was 
calm  enough  to  allow  of  it.     With  such  a  small  cockle- 
shell of  a  boat,  we  dared  not  go  out  when  it  was  not 
calm ;  and  with  regard  to  this,  I  had  been  duly  cau- 


THE    DINGY.  25 

tioned  by  Heniy  Blew  himself.  Our  excursions  only- 
extended  to  a  short  distance  from  the  village,  usually 
up  the  bay,  though  sometimes  down,  but  I  always  took 
care  to  keep  near  the  shore,  and  never  ventured  far 
out,  lest  the  little  boat  might  be  caught  in  a  squall  and 
get  me  into  danger. 

As  time  passed  on,  however,  I  grew  less  timid,  and 
began  to  feel  more  at  home  on  the  wide  water.  Then 
I  extended  my  excursions  sometimes  as  far  as  a  mile 
from  the  shore,  and  thought  nothing  of  it.  My  friend, 
the  waterman,  seeing  me  on  one  of  these  far  voyages, 
repeated  his  former  caution,  but  it  might  have  had  a 
more  salutary  effect  had  I  not  overheard  him,  the  mo- 
ment after,  observe  to  one  of  his  companions  :  — - 

"  Wonderful  boy  !  ain't  he.  Bob  ?  Come  of  the  true 
stock  —  make  the  right  sort  of  a  sailor,  if  ever  he 
grows  big  enough." 

This  remark  led  me  to  think  that  I  had  not  much 
displeased  my  patron  in  what  I  had  done  ;  and  there- 
fore his  caution  "  to  keep  close  in-shore  "  produced  very 
little  effect  on  me. 

It  was  not  a  long  time  before  I  quite  disobeyed  it ; 
and  the  disobedience,  as  you  shall  hear,  very  nigh  cost 
me  my  life. 

But  first  let  me  tell  of  a  circumstance  that  occurred 
at  this  date,  and  which  quite  changed  the  current  of  my 
existence.  It  was  a  great  misfortune  that  befell  me  — 
the  loss  of  both  my  parents. 

I  have  said  that  my  father  was  a  seaman  by  profes- 
sion. He  was  the  master  of  a  ship  that  traded,  I  be- 
lieve, to  the  colonies  of  America,  and  so  little  was  he 
at  home  from  the  time  I  was  old  enough  to  remember, 


26  THE   BOY   TAR. 

that  I  scarce  recollected  him  more  than  just  what  he 
was  like  —  and  that  was  a  fine,  manly,  sailor-looking 
man,  with  a  face  bronzed  by  the  weather  until  it  was 
nearly  of  a  copper  color,  but  for  all  that  a  handsome 
and  cheerful  face. 

My  mother  must  have  thought  so  too,  for  from  the 
time  that  news  arrived  that  his  ship  was  wrecked,  and 
he  himself  drowned,  she  was  never  herself  again.  She 
seemed  to  pine  away,  as  if  she  did  not  wish  to  live 
longer,  but  was  desirous  of  joining  him  in  the  other 
world.  If  such  were  her  wishes,  it  was  not  long  be- 
fore they  were  gratified  ;  for,  in  a  very  few  weeks  after 
the  terrible  news  had  reached  us,  my  poor  mother  was 
carried  to  her  grave. 

These  were  the  circumstances  that  changed  the  cur- 
rent of  my  existence.  Even  my  mode  of  life  was  no 
longer  the  same.  I  was  now  an  orphan,  without  means 
and  without  a  home  ;  for,  as  my  parents  had  been  with- 
out any  fortune,  and  subsisted  entirely  upon  the  hard 
earnings  of  my  father's  trade,  no  provision  had  been 
made  against  such  an  unexpected  event  as  my  brave 
father's  death,  and  even  my  mother  had- been  left  al- 
most penniless.  Perhaps  it  was  a  merciful  Providence 
that  called  her  away  from  a  world  that  to  her  was  no 
longer  a  place  of  enjoyment ;  and  although  I  long  la- 
mented my  dear  kind  mother,  in  after  years  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  it  was  her  happier  destiny  that 
at  that  time  she  had  been  summoned,  away.  Long, 
long  years  it  was  before  I  could  have  done  anything 
to  aid  or  protect  her  —  during  the  chill  cold  winter  of 
poverty  that  must  have  been  her  portion. 

To  me  the  events  brought  consequences  of  the  most 


THE   DINGY.  •       27 

serious  kind.  I  found  a  home,  it  is  true,  but  a  very 
different  one  from  that  to  which  I  had  all  along  been 
used.  I  was  taken  to  Hve  with  an  uncle,  who,  although 
my  mother's  own  brother,  had  none  of  her  tender  or 
affectionate  feelings  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  a  man  of 
morose  disposition  and  coarse  habits,  and  I  soon  found 
that  I  was  but  little  more  cared  for  than  any  one  of  his 
servants,  for  I  was  treated  just  as  they. 

My  school-days  were  at  an  end,  for  I  .was  no  more 
sent  to  school  from  the  day  I  entered  my  uncle's  house. 
Not  that  I  was  allowed  to  go  about  idle.  My  uncle 
was  a  farmer,  and  soon  found  a  use  for  me ;  so  that 
between  running  after  pigs  and  cattle,  and  driving  the 
plough-horses,  or  tending  upon  a  flock  of  sheep,  or 
feeding  calves,  or  a  hundred  other  little  matters,  I  was 
kept  busy  from  sunrise  till  sunset  of  every  day  in  the 
week.  Upon  Sundays  only  was  I  permitted  to  rest  — 
not  that  my  uncle  was  at  all  religious,  but  that  it  was  a 
custom  of  the  place  that  there  should  be  no  work  done 
on  the  Sabbath.  This  custom  was  strictly  observed  by 
everybody  belonging  to  the  village,  and  my  uncle  was 
compelled  to  follow  the  common  rule  —  otherwise,  I 
believe,  he  would  have  made  Sunday  a  day  of  work  as 
well  as  any  other. 

My  uncle  not  having  any  care  for  religion,  I  was  not 
sent  to  church,  but  was  left  free  to  wander  idle  about 
the  fields,  or  indeed  wherever  I  chose  to  go.  You  may 
be  sure  I  did  not  choose  to  stop  among  the  hedges  and 
ditches.  The  blue  sea  that  lay  beyond,  had  far  more 
attractions  for  me  than  birdsnesting,  or  any  other  rural 
amusement  ;  and  the  moment  I  could  escape  from  the 
house  I  was  off  to  my  favorite  element,  either  tc  <xe 


28  THE   BOY   TAR. 

company  my  friend  Harry  Blew  in  some  of  his  boating 
trips,  or  to  get  possession  of  the  "  dingy,"  and  have  a 
row  on  my  own  account.  Thus,  then,  were  my  Sun- 
days passed. 

While  my  mother  was  living,  I  had  been  taught  to 
regard  this  idle  way  of  spending  Sunday  as  sinful ; 
but  the  example  which  I  had  before  me  in  my  uncle's 
life,  soon  led  me  to  form  other  ideas  upon  this  matter, 
and  I  came  to  regard  the  Lord's  Day  as  only  differing 
from  any  other  of  the  week  in  its  being  by  far  the 
pleasantest. 

One  Sunday,  however,  proved  anything  but  pleasant. 
So  far  from  it,  that  it  came  very  near  being  the  most 
painful  as  well  as  the  last  day  of  my  life  —  which  was 
once  more  imperilled  by  my  favorite  element  —  the 
water. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

THE    KEEF. 

It  was  Sunday  morning,  and  as  fine  a  one  as  I  can 
remember.  It  was  in  the  month  of  May,  and  not 
likely  to  be  otherwise  than  fine.  The  sun  was  shining 
brightly,  and  the  birds  filled  the  air  with  joyous  music. 
The  thrush  and  blackbird  mingled  their  strong  vigorous 
voices  with  the  mellowed  trilling  of  the  skylark,  and 
over  the  fields  could  be  heard  almost  continuously  the 
call  of  the  cuckoo  —  now  here,  now  there,  as  the  active 
creature  plied  her  restless  wing  from  one  hedge-tree  to 
another.  There  was  a  strong  sweet  perfume  in  the  air 
like  the  scent  of  almonds,  for  the  white  thorn  was  now 
expanding  its  umbels  of  aromatic  flowers,  and  there 
was  just  enough  breeze  to  bear  their  fragrance  through- 
out the  whole  atmosphere.  The  country,  with  its  green 
hedge-rows,  its  broad  fields  of  young  corn,  its  meadows 
enamelled  with  the  golden  ranunculus  and  the  purple 
spring  orchis  both  in  full  flower ;  the  country,  with  its 
birds'  nests  and  bird  music,  would  have  been  attractive 
to  most  boys  of  my  age,  but  far  more  fascination  for  me 
was  there  in  that  which  lay  beyond  —  that  calm,  glassy 
surface  of  a  sky-blue  color  that  shone  over  the  fields, 
glistening  under  the  rays  of  the  sun  like  a  transparent 


30  THE   BOY   TAR. 

mirror.  That  great  watery  plain  was  the  field  upon 
which  I  longed  to  disport  myself;  far  lovelier  in  my 
eyes  than  the  rigs  of  waving  corn,  or  the  flower-enam- 
elled mead,  its  soft  ripple  more  musical  to  my  ear  than 
the  songs  of  thrush  or  skylark,  and  even  its  peculiar 
smell  more  grateful  to  my  senses  than  the  perfume  of 
buttercups  and  roses. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  I  left  my  chamber  and  looked 
forth  upon  this  smiling,  shining  sea,  I  longed  to  fling 
myself  on  its  bosom  with  a  yearning  which  I  cannot 
express.  To  satisfy  this  desire,  I  made  all  haste  to 
be  gone.  I  did  not  even  wait  for  a  regular  breakfast, 
but  was  content  with  a  piece  of  bread  and  a  bowl  of 
milk,  which  I  obtained  from  the  pantry,  and  having 
hurriedly  swallowed  these,  I  struck  out  for  the  beach. 

I  rather  stole  away  than  otherwise,  for  I  had  appre- 
hensions that  some  obstacle  might  arise  to  hinder  me 
from  gratifying  my  wishes.  Perhaps  my  uncle  might 
find  reason  to  call  me  back,  and  order  me  to  remain 
about  the  house ;  for  although  he  did  not  object  to  my 
roaming  idly  about  the  fields,  I  knew  that  he  did  not 
like  the  idea  of  my  going  upon  the  water,  and  once  or 
twice  already  had  forbidden  it. 

This  apprehension,  then,  caused  me  to  use  a  little 
precaution.  Instead  of  going  out  by  the  avenue  lead- 
ing direct  from  the  house  to  the  main  road  that  ran 
along  the  shore,  I  went  by  a  back  way  that  would  bring 
me  to  the  beach  in  a  circuitous  direction. 

I  met  with  no  interruption,  but  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  water  edge  without  being  observed  —  by  any  one 
who  had  an  interest  in  knowing  where  I  went. 

On  arriving  at  the  little  cove  where  the  young  water- 


THE   REEF.  31 

man  kept  his  boats,  I  perceived  that  the  larger  one  was 
out,  but  the  dingy  was  there  at  my  service.  This  was 
just  what  I  wished  for,  as  on  that  particular  day  I  had 
formed  a  design  to  make  a  very  grand  excursion  in  the 
little  boat.  My  first  act,  then,  was  to  get  inside  and 
bale  out  the  water  which  had  gathered  in  the  bottom 
of  the  dingy.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  water  in  her, 
and  I  concluded  from  this  that  she  must  have  lain 
seveval  days  without  being  used,  for  she  was  a  craft 
that  did  not  leak  very  fast.  Fortunately,  I  found  an 
old  tin  pan  —  that  was  kept  on  purpose  to  bale  out 
with  —  and  after  scooping  away  for  some  ten  minutes 
or  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  I  got  the  little  boat  dry  enough 
for  my  purpose.  The  oars  were  kept  in  a  shed  behind 
the  cottage  of  the  waterman,  which  stood  only  a  short 
distance  back  upon  the  beach ;  and  these  I  fetched,  as 
I  had  often  done  before,  without  the  necessity  of  asking 
leave  from  any  one. 

I  now  entered  the  dingy,  and  having  adjusted  the 
thole  pins  and  placed  my  oars  on  the  rowlocks,  I  took 
my  seat  and  pushed  oflf  from  the  shore.  My  little  skiff 
yielded  freely  to  my  stroke,  and  shot  out  into  the  deep 
water  as  smoothly  as  if  she  had  been  a  fish ;  and  with 
a  heart  as  light  as  ever  beat  in  my  breast,  I  pulled 
away  over  the  bright  blue  sea.  The  sea  was  not  only 
bright  and  blue,  but  as  calm  as  a  lake.  There  was 
hardly  so  much  as  a  ripple,  and  so  clear  was  it  under- 
neath, I  could  see  the  fishes  at  play  down  to  a  depth 
of  several  fathoms. 

The  bed  of  the  sea  in  our  bay  is  of  pure  sand  of  a 
silvery  whiteness ;  and  the  smallest  objects,  even  little 
crabs  not  so  big  as  a  crown  piece,  could  be  distinctly 


32  THE   BOY   TAR. 

seen  gambolling  along  the  bottom,  in  playful  pursuit 
of  one  another,  or  in  search  of  some  creatures  still 
smaller  than  themselves,  of  which  they  design  to  make 
their  breakfast.  I  could  see  "  schools  "  of  small  her- 
ring fry  and  broad  round  plaice,  and  huge  turbots,  and 
beautiful  green  mackerel,  and  great  conger  eels  as  large 
as  boa  constrictors,  all  engaged  in  pursuits  of  pleasure 
or  prey. 

It  was  one  of  those  mornings  when  the  sea  is  per- 
fectly still,  and  such  as  are  very  rare  upon  our  coasts. 
It  was  just  the  morning  for  me,  for,  as  I  have  already 
said,  I  had  designed  a  "  grand  excursion "  for  the  day, 
and  the  weather  would  enable  me  to  carry  my  design 
into  execution. 

You  will  ask  whither  I  was  going  ?  Listen,  and  you 
shall  hear. 

About  three  miles  from  the  shore,  and  just  visible 
from  it,  lay  a  small  islet.  It  is  not  exactly  correct  to 
say  islet.  It  was  but  a  shoal  of  rocks  —  a  small  patch, 
apparently  about  a  square  pole  in  dimensions,  and  ris- 
ing only  a  few  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 
This,  too,  only  when  the  tide  was  out,  for  at  all  other 
times  it  was  quite  covered  with  the  waves ;  and  then 
there  could  only  be  seen  a  slender  staff  sticking  up  out 
of  the  water  to  the  height  of  a  few  feet,  and  at  the 
head  of  this  appeared  a  sort  of  knob,  or  lump.  Of 
course  the  staff  had  been  placed  there  to  point  out  the 
shoal  in  times  of  high  tide,  so  that  the  sloops  and  other 
small  vessels  that  traded  up  the  bay  might  not  run  up- 
on it  by  mistake,  and  so  get  wrecked. 

Only  when  the  tide  was  low,  then,  was  this  little  islet 
to  be  observed  from  the  shore.     Usually,  it  appeared 


THE   KEEF.  33 

of  a  jet  black  color ;  but  there  were  other  times  when 
it  was  as  white  as  if  covered  a  foot  deep  with  snow, 
and  then  it  showed  plainer  and  more  attractive.  I 
knew  verj  well  what  caused  this  singular  metamorpho- 
sis in  its  color.  I  knew  that  the  white  mantle  that 
covered  it  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  vast  flock 
of  beautiful  sea-fowl,  that  had  settled  upon  the  rocks, 
either  to  rest  themselves  after  so  much  flying,  or  to 
search  for  such  small  fish  or  Crustacea  as  might  be  left 
there  by  the  tide. 

Now  this  little  spot  had  long  been  to  me  a  place  of 
firstrate  interest  —  partly  on  account  of  its  remote  and 
isolated  situation  ;  but  more,  I  fancy,  on  account  of 
these  very  birds,  for  in  no  other  part  of  the  bay  had  I 
seen  so  many  of  them  together.  It  seemed  also  to  be 
a  favorite  place  with  them  ;  for  at  the  going  out  of 
every  tide,  I  observed  them  gather  from  all  directions, 
hover  around  the  staff,  and  then  settle  down  upon  the 
black  rocks  around  it,  until  the  latter  were  hidden  from 
the  view  behind  the  white  bodies  of  the  birds.  These 
birds  were  gulls  ;  but  there  appeared  to  be  several 
kinds  of  them ;  large  ones  and  small  ones,  and  at  dif- 
ferent times  I  had  noticed  birds  of  other  kinds  —  such 
as  the  great  terns  and  grebes,  playing  themselves  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  Of  course,  from  the  shore  the 
view  one  could  have  of  these  creatures  was  a  very 
distant  one,  and  it  was  difficult  to  tell  to  what  species 
they  belonged.  The  largest  of  them  appeared  not 
much  bigger  than  sparrows,  and  had  they  not  been  on 
the  wing,  or  so  many  of  them  together,  they  might 
have  moved  about  unnoticed  by  any  one  passing  along 
the  shore. 

2* 


34  THE    BOY   TAR. 

I  think  it  was  the  presence  of  these  birds  that  had 
made  this  remote  spot  so  interesting  to  me.  At  a  very 
early  age  I  was  fond  of  all  objects  of  natural  history  — ■ 
but  particularly  of  the  creatures  that  have  wings  —  and 
I  believe  there  are  few  boys  that  are  not  so.  There 
may  be  sciences  and  studies  of  greater  importance  to 
mankind,  but  there  is  none  more  refining  to  the  taste 
or  more  fascinating  to  the  youthful  fancy  than  the  study 
of  nature.  Whether  it  was  to  get  a  good  look  at  the 
birds,  or  whether  from  some  curiosity  about  other  things 
I  might  see  upon  this  little  islet,  I  often  wished  that  I 
could  get  to  it.  Never  did  I  turn  my  eyes  in  that 
direction  —  and  I  did  so  as  often  as  I  came  near  the 
beach  —  without  feeling  a  strong  wish  to  get  there  and 
explore  it  from  end  to  end.  I  knew  in  my  memory 
the  exact  shape  of  it  when  the  tide  was  lowest,  and 
could  at  any  time  have  chalked  out  its  profile  without 
looking  at  it.  It  was  lower  at  both  ends,  and  rose  with 
a  sort  of  curve  towards  the  middle,  like  a  huge  black 
whale  lying  along  the  surface,  and  the  stafi^,  rising  from 
the  highest  point,  looked  like  a  harpoon  that  was  stick- 
ing in  his  back. 

That  staff",  too,  I  longed  to  get  my  hands  upon ;  to  see 
what  it  was  made  out  of;  how  high  it  really  was  if  one 
were  near  it,  for  it  only  looked  about  a  yard  high  from 
the  shore  ;  what  sort  of  a  thing  the  knob  was  on  the 
top,  and  how  the  but  was  fastened  in  the  ground. 
Firmly  it  must  have  been  set ;  for  I  had  often  seen  the 
waves  wash  up  to  it  during  great  storms,  and  the  spray 
driving  so  high  above  it,  that  neither  rock,  nor  staff",  nor 
knob  were  at  all  visible. 

Ah  !  many  a  time  had  I  sighed  to  visit  that  attrac- 


THE   REEF.  35 

tive  spot ;  but  never  yet  had  the  opportunity  occurred. 
It  was  by  far  too  distant  for  any  excursion  I  had  hither- 
to dared  to  make  —  far  too  dangerous  a  tiight  for  me 
to  take  in  the  little  dingy  ;  and  no  one  had  offered  to 
go  with  me.  Harry  Blew  had  once  promised  me  he 
would  take  me  —  at  the  same  time  he  laughed  at  the 
desire  I  expressed  to  visit  such  a  place.  What  was  it 
to  him  ?  He  had  often  rowed  past  it  and  around  it, 
and  no  doubt  landed  upon  it,  and  perhaps  tied  his  boat 
to  the  staff,  while  he  shot  the  sea-birds,  or  fished  in  the 
waters  beside  it ;  but  it  had  never  been  my  good  for- 
tune to  accompany  him  in  one  of  these  pleasant  excur- 
sions. I  had  been  in  expectation,  however,  of  doing 
so  ;  but  now  these  hopes  were  gone.  I  could  no  more 
get  away  except  on  the  Sundays  ;  and  on  these  very 
days  my  friend  was  always  engaged  in  his  own  occupa- 
tion —  for  Sundays,  above  all  other  days  of  the  week, 
was  the  time  for  sailing  parties. 

For  a  long  time,  then,  I  had  waited  in  vain ;  but  I 
now  resolved  to  wait  no  longer.  I  had  made  a  bold 
determination  on  that  very  morning ;  which  was,  that 
I  should  take  the  dingy  and  visit  the  reef  myself. 
This,  then,  was  the  grand  excursion  on  which  I  was 
bound,  when  I  removed  the  little  boat  from  her  fasten- 
ings, and  shot  out  upon  the  bosom  of  the  bright  blue 
sea. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    GULLS. 

I  HA  YE  styled  my  determination  a  bold  one.  True, 
there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  the  enterprise  itself. 
I  only  mean  that  it  was  bold  for  one  so  young  and  so 
little  as  I  was  at  the  time.  Three  miles  rowing  would 
be  a  good  long  pull,  and  that  right  out  into  the  great 
deep  water  almost  beyond  sight  of  the  shore  !  I  had 
never  been  so  far  before,  nor  half  so  far,  neither ;  in 
fact,  never  more  than  a  mile  from  the  beach,  and  in 
pretty  shallow  water,  too  —  I  mean,  while  by  myself. 
"With  Blew  I  had  been  everywhere  around  the  bay  ; 
but  then,  of  course,  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  man- 
agement of  the  boat ;  and,  trusting  to  the  skill  of  the 
young  waterman,  had  no  cause  to  feel  afraid.  Alone, 
the  case  was  different.  Everything  depended  upon 
myself;  and  should  any  accident  arise,  I  should  have 
no  one  to  give  me  either  counsel  or  assistance.  In- 
deed, before  I  had  go*:  quite  a  mile  from  the  shore,  I 
began  to  reflect  that  my  enterprise  was  not  only  a  bold 
but  a  rash  one,  and  very  little  would  have  induced  me 
to  turn  round  and  pull  back. 

It  occurred  to  me,  however,  that  some  one  might 
have  been  watching  me  from  the  shore ;  some  boy  who 


THE    GULLS.  37 

was  jealous  of  my  prowess  as  an  oarsman  —  and  there 
were  such  in  our  village  —  and  this  boy  or  boys  would 
have  seen  that  I  had  started  for  the  islet,  would  easily 
have  divined  my  reasons  for  turning  back,  and  would 
not  fail  to  "  twit "  me  with  cowardice.  Partly  influ- 
enced by  this  thought,  and  partly  because  I  still  had  a 
desire  to  proceed,  I  plucked  up  fresh  spirit  and  rowed  on. 

When  I  had  got  within  about  half  a  mile  of  the 
shoal,  I  rested  upon  my  oars,  and  looked  behind  me, 
for  in  that  direction  lay  the  goal  I  was  struggling  to 
reach.  I  perceived  at  a  glance  that  the  little  islet  was 
quite  out  of  the  water  —  as  if  the  tide  was  at  its  low- 
est —  but  the  black  stones  were  not  visible  on  account 
of  the  birds  that  were  standing  or  sitting  all  over  them. 
It  looked  as  if  a  flock  of  swans  or  white  geese  were 
resting  upon  the  shoal ;  but  I  knew  they  were  only 
large  gulls,  for  many  of  the  same  kind  were  wheeling 
about  in  the  air  —  some  settlinoj  down  and  some  risinoj  to 
take  a  fresh  flight.  Even  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile, 
I  could  hear  their  screaming  quite  distinctly,  and  I  had 
heard  it  much  further  oflF,  so  calm  was  the  atmosphere. 

I  was  now  the  more  anxious  to  proceed  on  account 
of  the  presence  of  the  birds,  for  I  was  desirous  of  get- 
ting near  them  and  having  a  good  view  of  them.  I 
intended  to  stop  again  before  going  too  close,  in  order 
to  watch  the  movements  of  these  pretty  creatures  — 
for  many  of  them  were  in  motion  over  the  shoal,  and 
I  could  not  divine  what  they  were  about. 

In  hopes  that  they  would  let  me  approach  near 
enough  to  observe  them,  I  rowed  gently  and  silently, 
dipping  the  blades  of  my  oars  as  carefully  as  a  cat 
would  set  down  her  paws. 


38  THE   BOY   TAR. 

When  I  had  reached  within  some  two  hundred  yards 
of  them,  I  once  more  hfted  the  oars  above  water,  and 
twisted  my  neck  round  to  look  at  the  birds.  I  observed 
that  I  had  not  yet  alarmed  them.  Though  gulls  are 
rather  shy  birds,  they  know  pretty  well  the  range  of  a 
common  fowling-piece,  and  will  rarely  trouble  them- 
selves to  stir  from  the  spot  where  they  are  seated  until 
one  is  just  getting  within  shooting  distance.  I  had  no 
gun,  and  therefore  they  had  nothing  to  fear  —  not 
much,  indeed,  even  had  I  possessed  one,  as  I  should 
not  have  known  how  to  use  it.  It  is  probable  enough 
that  had  they  seen  a  gun  they  would  not  have  allowed 
me  so  near,  for  white  gulls  somewhat  resemble  black 
crows  in  this  respect,  and  can  distinguish  between  a 
gun  and  hoe-handle  a  long  way  off.  Right  well  do 
they  know  the  glance  of  a  "  shooting-iron." 

I  watched  the  creatures  for  a  long  while  with  great 
interest ;  and  would  have  considered  myself  well  re- 
warded for  the  exertions  I  had  made  in  getting  there, 
had  I  even  turned  back  on  the  spot  and  rowed  ashore 
again.  The  birds  that  clustered  near  the  stones  were 
all  gulls,  but  there  were  two  kinds,  very  different  in 
size,  and  somewhat  unlike  in  color.  One  sort  had 
black  heads  and  grayish  wings,  while  the  other  and 
larger  kind  was  nearly  of  a  pure  white  color.  Nothing 
could  exceed  the  cleanly  appearance  of  both.  They 
looked  as  if  a  spot  of  dirt  had  never  soiled  their 
snowy  plumage ;  and  their  beautiful  red  legs  shone 
like  branches  of  the  purest  coral.  I  made  out  that 
those  upon  the  stones  were  engaged  in  various  ways. 
Some  ran  about  evidently  in  search  of  food ;  and  this 
consisted  of  the  small  fry  of  fish  that  had  been  left  by 


THE   GULLS.  39 

the  receding  tide,  as  well  as  little  crabs,  shrimps,  lob- 
sters, mussels,  and  other  curious  animals  of  the  sea. 
A  great  many  of  the  birds  merely  sat  preening  their 
white  plumage,  of  which  they  appeared  to  be  not  a 
little  proud.  But  although  they  all  looked  contented 
and  happy,  they  were  evidently  not  exempted,  any 
more  than  other  living  creatures,  from  cares  and  evil 
passions.  This  was  proved  by  the  fact  that  more  than 
one  terrible  quarrel  occurred  among  them  while  I  was 
looking  on,  from  what  cause  —  unless  it  was  the  male 
birds  battling  through  jealousy  —  I  could  not  deter- 
mine. A  most  captivating  sight  it  was  to  see  those 
upon  the  wing  engaged  in  their  occupation  of  fishing ; 
to  see  them  shoot  down  from  a  height  of  more  than  a 
hundred  yards,  disappear  with  almost  silent  plunge 
beneath  the  blue  waves,  and  after  a  short  interval 
emerge,  bearing  their  glittering  prey  in  their  beaks. 
Of  all  the  movements  of  birds,  either  upon  foot  or  on 
the  wing,  I  think  there  is  none  so  interesting  to  look  at 
as  the  actions  of  the  fishing  gull  while  engaged  in  pur- 
suit of  his  prey.  Even  the  kite  is  not  more  graceful 
in  its  fliofht.  The  sudden  turnino;  in  his  onward  course 
—  the  momentary  pause  to  fix  more  accurately  the 
position  of  his  prey  —  the  arrow-like  descent  —  the 
plunge  —  the  white  spray  dancing  upward,  and  then 
the  hiatus  occasioned  by  the  total  disappearance  of  the 
winged  thunderbolt,  until  the  white  object  starts  forth 
again  above  the  blue  surface  —  all  these  points  are  in- 
comparable to  behold.  No  ingenuity  of  man,  aided  by 
all  the  elements  of  air,  water,  or  fire,  can  produce  an 
exhibition  with  so  fine  an  efi^ect. 

For  a  good  long  while  I  sat  in  my  little  boat  watch- 


40  THE   BOY   TAR. 

ing  the  movements  of  the  gulls ;  and  then,  satisfied 
that  I  had  not  made  the  excursion  in  vain,  I  turned 
myself  to  carrying  out  my  original  design,  and  landing 
upon  the  reef. 

The  pretty  birds  kept  their  places  until  I  had  got 
nearly  up  to  its  edge.  They  seemed  to  know  that  I 
intended  them  no  harm,  and  did  not  mistrust  me.  At 
all  events,  they  had  no  fear  of  a  gun,  for  when  they  at 
length  arose  they  winged  their  way  directly  over  my 
head,  so  near  that  I  could  almost  have  struck  them 
down  with  the  oar. 

One,  that  I  thought  was  larger  than  any  of  the  flock, 
had  been  all  the  time  perched  in  a  conspicuous  place  — 
on  the  top  of  the  signal-staff.  Perhaps  I  only  fancied 
him  larger  on  account  of  the  position  in  which  he  was 
placed;  but  I  noticed  that  before  any  of  the  others 
took  to  flight,  he  had  shot  upward  with  a  screech,  as  if 
it  were  a  command  for  the  rest  to  follow  his  example. 
Very  likely  he  was  either  the  sentinel  or  leader  of  the 
flock  ;  and  this  little  bit  of  tactics,  was  no  other  than  I 
had  often  seen  practised  by  a  flock  of  crows,  when  en- 
gaged on  a  pillaging  expedition  in  a  field  of  beans  or 
potatoes. 

The  departure  of  the  birds  appeared  to  produce  a 
darkening  effect  upon  my  spirits.  The  very  sea  seemed 
blacker  after  they  had  gone;  but  this  was  natural 
enough,  for  instead  of  their  white  plumage  that  had 
filled  my  eyes,  I  now  looked  upon  the  desolate  reef, 
covered  over  with  loose  stones  that  were  as  black  as  if 
coated  with  tar.  This  was  only  partly  what  had  brought 
about  the  change  in  my  feelings.  There  was  another 
cause.     A   slight   breeze  had   sprung  up,  as   a   cloud 


THE    GULLS.  41 

passed  suddenlj  over  the  sun's  disc  ;  and  the  surface 
of  the  water,  hitherto  smooth  and  glassy,  had  grown  all 
at  once  of  a  grayish  hue  by  the  curling  of  the  little 
"waves. 

The  reef  had  a  forbidding  aspect ;  but  determined  to 
explore  it  —  since  I  had  come  so  far  for  that  especial 
purpose  —  I  rowed  on  till  the  keel  of  the  dingy  grated 
upon  the  rocks. 

A  little  cove  presented  itself  to  my  view,  which  I 
thought  would  answer  my  purpose  ;  and  heading  my 
prow  up  into  it,  I  stepped  out,  and  took  my  way  direct 
towards  the  staff —  that  object  which  for  so  many  years 
I  had  looked  upon  from  afar,  and  with  which  I  had 
longed  to  be  more  intimately  acquainted. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SEARCH   FOR   A    SEA-VRCHIN. 

I  SOON  touched  with  my  hands  the  interesting  piece 
of  wood,  and  felt  as  proud  at  that  moment  as  if  it  had 
been  the  North  Pole  itself,  and  I  its  discoverer.  I  was 
not  a  little  surprised  at  its  dimensions,  and  how  much 
the  distance  had  hitherto  deceived  me.  Viewed  from 
the  shore,  it  looked  no  bigger  than  the  shaft  of  a  hoe  or 
a  hay-fork,  and  the  knob  at  the  top  about  equal  to  a 
fair-sized  turnip.  No  wonder  I  was  a  bit  astonished  to 
find  the  staff  as  thick,  and  thicker,  than  my  thigh,  and 
the  top  full  larger  than  my  whole  body  !  In  fact,  it 
was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  barrel  or  cask  of  nine 
gallons.  It  was  set  upon  end,  the  top  of  the  staff  being 
wedged  into  a  hole  in  the  bottom,  thus  holding  it  firmly. 
It  was  painted  white,  though  this  I  knew  before,  for 
often  had  I  viewed  it  glistening  under  the  sun,  while 
the  shaft  below  was  of  a  dark  color.  It  may  have  been 
black  at  one  time,  and  had  grown  discolored  by  the 
weather  and  the  spray  of  the  stormy  water,  that  often 
lashed  all  around  it,  even  up  to  the  barrel  at  the  top. 

Its  height,  too,  I  had  miscalculated  as  much  as  its 
thickness.  From  the  land  it  appeared  no  taller  than  an 
ordinary  man  ;  but  looking  up  to  it  from  the  shoal,  it 


SEARCH   FOR   A    SEA-URCHIN.  43 

towered  above  me  like  the  mast  of  a  sloop.  It  could 
not  have  been  less  than  twelve  feet  —  yes,  twelve  it 
was  at  the  very  least. 

I  was  equally  surprised  at  the  extent  of  ground  that 
I  found  above  water.  I  had  long  fancied  that  my  islet 
"was  only  a  pole  or  so  in  size,  but  I  now  perceived  it 
was  a  hundred  times  that  —  an  acre,  or  very  near. 
Most  of  the  surface  was  covered  with  loose  rocks,  or 
"  bowlders,"  from  the  size  of  small  pebbles  to  pieces  as 
big  as  a  man's  body,  and  there  were  other  rocks  still 
larger,  but  these  I  perceived  were  not  loose,  but  half 
buried,  and  fast  as  rocks  could  be.  They  were  only 
the  projecting  ends  of  great  masses  that  formed  the 
strength  of  the  reef.  All,  both  large  ones  and  small 
ones,  were  coated  over  with  a  black,  slimy  substance, 
and  here  and  there  great  beds  of  sea-weed,  of  different 
kinds,  among  which  I  recognized  some  sorts  that  were 
usually  cast  up  on  our  beach,  and  passed  by  the  name 
of  "  sea-wreck."  With  these  I  had  already  formed  a 
most  intimate  acquaintance,  for  more  than  one  hard 
day's  work  had  I  done  in  helping  to  spread  them  over 
my  uncle's  land,  where  they  were  used  as  manure  for 
potatoes. 

After  having  satisfied  myself  with  a  survey  of  the 
tall  signal-staff,  and  guessed  at  the  dimensions  of  the 
barrel  at  the  top,  I  turned  away  from  it,  and  commenced 
wandering  over  the  reef.  This  I  did  to  see  if  I  could 
find  some  curious  shell  or  other  object  that  would  be 
worth  carrying  back  with  me  —  something  to  keep  as  a 
memento  of  this  great  and  hitherto  pleasant  excursion. 

It  was  not  such  an  easy  matter  getting  about ;  more 
difficult  than  I  had  imagined.     I  have  said  the  stones 


44  THE   BOY   TAR. 

were  coated  over  with  a  slimy  substance,  and  this  made 
them  slippery  too.  Had  they  been  well  soaped,  they 
could  not  have  been  smoother  to  the  tread ;  and  before 
I  had  proceeded  very  far,  I  got  a  tolerably  ugly  fall, 
and  several  severe  scrambles. 

I  hesitated  as  to  whether  I  should  go  farther  in  that 
direction  —  which  was  to  the  opposite  side  from  where 
I  had  left  the  boat ;  but  there  was  a  sort  of  peninsula 
jutting  out  from  the  main  part  of  the  reef;  and  near 
the  end  of  this  I  saw  what  I  fancied  to  be  a  collection 
of  rare  shells,  and  I  was  now  desirous  of  possessing 
some.     With  this  view,  then,  I  kept  on. 

I  had  already  observed  several  sorts  of  shells  among 
the  sand  that  lay  between  the  bowlders,  some  with  fish 
in  them,  and  others  opened  and  bleached.  None  of 
these  kinds  were  new  to  me,  for  I  had  seen  them  all 
many  a  time  before  —  even  in  the  potato-field,  where 
they  turned  up  among  the  wreck.  They  were  only 
blue  mussels,  and  a  sort  the  farm  people  called 
"  razors,"  and  "  whelks,"  and  common  "  cockle-shells." 
I  saw  no  oysters,  and  I  regretted  this,  for  I  had  grown 
hungry,  and  could  have  eaten  a  dozen  or  two  ;  but  it 
was  not  the  ground  for  these.  Plenty  of  little  crabs 
and  lobsters  there  were,  but  these  I  did  not  fancy  to  eat 
unless  I  could  have  boiled  them,  and  that  of  course  was 
not  possible  under  the  circumstances. 

On  my  way  to  the  front  of  the  peninsula,  I  looked 
for  "  sea-urchin,"  but  none  fell  in  my  way.  I  had  often 
wished  to  get  a  good  specimen  of  this  curious  shell,  but 
without  success.  Some  of  them  turned  up  now  and 
then  upon  the  beach  near  our  village,  but  they  were  not 
allowed  to  lie  long.     As  they  made  a  pretty  ornament 


SEARCH   FOR   A    SEA-URCHIN.  45 

for  the  mantel-shelf,  and  were  rare  upon  our  coast,  it 
was  natural  they  should  be  prized  above  the  common 
kinds,  and  such  was  in  reality  the  case.  This  reef 
being  remote,  and  being  seldom  visited  by  any  of  the 
boatmen,  I  was  in  hopes  I  should  find  some  upon  it, 
and  I  was  determined  to  look  narrowly  for  one.  With 
this  view  I  sauntered  slowly  along,  examining  every 
crevice  among  the  rocks,  and  every  water  hole  that  lay 
within  eyeshot  of  my  path. 

I  had  great  hopes  that  I  should  find  something  rare 
upon  the  peninsula.  The  glittering  forms  that  had 
first  induced  me  to  turn  my  steps  in  that  direction, 
seemed  to  gleam  still  brighter  as  I  drew  near.  For  all 
that,  I  did  not  particularly  hasten.  I  had  no  fear  that 
the  shells  would  walk  off  into  the  water.  These  were 
houses  whose  tenants  had  long  since  deserted  them,  and 
I  knew  they  would  keep  their  place  till  I  got  up ;  so, 
under  this  impression,  I  continued  to  go  deliberately, 
searching  as  I  went.  I  found  nothing  to  my  mind  until 
I  had  reached  the  peninsula  ;  but  then  indeed  a  beauti- 
ful object  came  under  my  eyes.  It  was  of  a  dark  red 
color,  round  as  an  orange,  and  far  bigger  ;  but  I  need 
not  describe  what  I  saw,  since  every  one  of  you  must 
have  seen  and  admired  the  shell  of  the  sea-urchin. 

It  was  not  long  before  I  held  it  in  my  hand,  and 
admiring  its  fine  curving  outlines,  and  the  curious 
protuberances  that  covered  them.  It  was  one  of 
the  handsomest  I  had  ever  seen,  and  I  congratulated 
myself  upon  the  pretty  souvenir  it  would  make  of  my 
trip. 

For  some  minutes  I  kept  looking  at  it,  turning  it 
over  and  over,  and  peeping  into  its  empty  inside  —  into 


46  THE   BOY   TAR. 

the  smooth  white  chamber  that  its  tenant  had  long 
since  evacuated.  Yes,  some  minutes  passed  before  I 
tired  of  this  manipulation;  but  at  length  I  remem- 
bered the  other  shells  I  had  noticed,  and  strode  forward 
to  gather  them. 

Sure  enough  they  were  strangers,  and  fair  strangers 
too.  They  were  of  three  or  four  sorts,  all  new  to  me  ; 
and  on  this  account  I  filled  my  pockets  with  them,  and 
after  that  both  my  hands,  and  then  turned  round  with 
the  intention  of  going  back  to  the  boat. 

Gracious  heaven  !  what  did  I  see  ?  A  sight  that 
caused  me  to  drop  my  shells,  sea-urchin  and  all,  as  if 
they  had  been  pieces  of  redhot  iron.  I  dropped  them 
at  my  feet,  and  was  nigh  to  falling  on  top  of  them,  so 
greatly  was  I  astonished  at  what  I  saw.  What  was  it? 
My  boat  1  my  boat !      Where  was  my  boat  f 


CHAPTER   VIIL 

LOSS    OF    THE    DINGY.  ^ 

It  was  the  boat,  then,  that  had  caused  me  this  sud- 
den surprise,  or  rather  alarm,  for  it  speedily  came  to 
this.  What,  you  will  ask,  had  happened  to  the  boat  ? 
Had  she  gone  to  the  bottom  ?  Not  that ;  but,  what  at 
first  appeared  almost  as  bad  for  me  —  she  had  gone 
away  ! 

When  I  turned  my  eyes  in  the  direction  I  expected 
to  see  her,  she  was  not  there  !  The  little  cove  among 
the  rocks  was  empty. 

There  was  no  mystery  about  the  thing.  At  a  glance 
I  comprehended  all,  since  at  a  glance  I  saw  the  boat 
herself,  drifting  away  outward  from  the  reef.  No  mys- 
tery at  aU.  I  had  neglected  to  make  the  boat  fast,  had 
not  even  taken  the  rope-hawser  ashore  ;  and  the  breeze 
—  which  I  now  observed  had  grown  fresher  —  catching 
upon  the  sides  of  the  boat,  had  drifted  her  out  of  the 
cove,  and  off  into  the  open  water. 

My  first  feeling  was  simply  surprise ;  but,  in  a  second 
or  two,  this  gave  way  to  one  of  alarm.  How  was  I  to 
recover  the  boat?  How  to  get  her  back  to  the  reef? 
If  not  successful  in  this,  how  then  should  I  reach  the 
shore  ?  Three  miles  was  the  shortest  distance.  I  could 
not  swim  it  even  for  my  hfe  ;  and  I  had  no  hope  that 


48  THE   BOY   TAR. 

any  one  would  come  to  my  rescue.  It  was  not  likely 
that  any  one  upon  the  shore  could  see  me,  or  be  aware 
of  my  situation.  Even  the  little  boat  would  hardly  be 
seen,  for  I  was  now  aware  of  how  much  smaller  objects 
would  be  rendered  at  that  great  distance.  The  signal- 
staff  had  taught  me  this  fact,  as  well  as  the  reef  itself. 
Eocks  that,  from  the  shore,  appeared  to  rise  only  a  foot 
above  the  surface,  were  actually  more  than  a  yard. 
The  boat,  therefore,  would  hardly  be  visible,  and  nei- 
ther I  nor  my  perilous  situation  would  be  noticed  by 
any  one  on  the  shore  —  unless,  indeed,  some  one  might 
chance  to  be  looking  through  a  glass  ;  but  what  proba- 
bility was  there  of  such  a  thing?  None  whatever,  or 
the  least  in  the  world. 

Reflection  only  increased  my  uneasiness ;  for  the 
more  I  reflected,  the  more  certain  did  it  appear  to  me 
that  my  negligence  had  placed  me  in  a  perilous  sit- 
uation. 

For  a  while,  my  mind  was  in  a  state  of  confusion, 
and  I  could  not  decide  upon  what  course  to  follow. 
There  was  but  little  choice  left  me  —  in  fact,  I  saw  no 
alternative  at  all  —  but  remain  upon  the  reef.  Upon 
second  thoughts,  however,  an  alternative  did  suggest 
itself,  if  I  could  but  succeed  in  following  it.  That  was 
to  swim  out  after  the  boat,  and  endeavor  to  regain  pos- 
session of  her.  She  had  not  drifted  so  far  away  but 
that  I  might  reach  her  by  swimming.  A  hundred  yards 
or  so  she  had  got  from  the  edge  of  the  islet,  but  she  was 
still  widening  the  distance  between  us,  and  wouldAoon 
be  much  farther  off. 

It  was  plain,  then,  that  if  I  intended  to  take  this 
course,  no  time  was  to  be  lost  —  not  a  moment. 


LOSS   OF   THE   DINGY.  49 

"What  else  could  I  do  ?  If  I  did  not  succeed  in 
reaching  her,  I  might  set  myself  down  for  a  troublesome 
adventure  —  perhaps  perilous  too ;  and  this  belief  nerved 
me  to  the  attempt. 

With  all  the  speed  I  could  make,  I  stripped  off  my 
clothes  and  flung  them  upon  the  rocks.  My  shoes  and 
stockings  followed  —  even  my  shirt  was  thrown  aside, 
lest  it  might  encumber  me,  and  just  as  if  I  was  going  in 
to  have  a  bathe  and  a  swim,  I  launched  myself  upon  the 
water.  I  had  no  wading  to  do.  The  water  was  beyond 
my  depth  from  the  very  edge  of  the  reef,  and  I  had  to 
swim  from  the  first  plunge.  Of  course,  I  struck  out 
directly  for  the  boat,  and  kept  on  without  turning  to  one 
side  or  the  other. 

I  swam  as  swiftly  as  I  could,  but  it  was  a  long  while 
before  I  could  perceive  that  I  was  coming  any  nearer 
to  the  dingy.  At  times,  I  thought  I  was  not  gaining 
upon  her  at  all,  and  Avhen  the  thought  occurred  to  me 
that  she  might  be  going  as  fast  as  I  was,  it  filled  me 
with  vexation  and  alarm.  Should  I  not  succeed  in 
coming  up  with  her,  then  it  would  be  a  hopeless  case 
indeed.  I  should  have  to  turn  round  again  and  swim 
back  to  the  reef,  or  else  go  to  the  bottom  —  for,  as 
already  stated,  I  could  no  more  have  reached  the  shore 
by  swimming  than  I  could  have  swum  across  the  Atlan- 
tic. Though  I  was  now  a  very  good  swimmer,  and 
might  have  done  a  mile  on  a  pinch,  three  were  far  be- 
yond my  power,  and  I  could  not  have  made  the  distance 
to  save  my  life.  Moreover,  the  boat  was  not  drifting  in 
the  direction  of  the  shore,  but  up  the  bay,  where  there 
was  at  least  ten  miles  of  water  before  me. 

I  was  getting  discouraged  in  this  pursuit,  and  thought 


50  THE   BOY   TAR. 

of  turning  back  to  the  reef,  before  I  might  become  too 
exhausted  to  reach  it,  "when  I  noticed  that  the  dingy 
veered  slightly  round,  and  then  drifted  in  a  direction 
oblique  to  that  she  had  already  taken.  This  arose  from 
a  sudden  puff  of  wind  which  blew  from  a  new  quarter. 
It  brought  the  boat  nearer  me,  and  I  resolved  to  make 
one  more  effort  to  reach  her. 

In  this,  I  at  length  succeeded  ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes 
more,  had  the  satisfaction  of  laying  my  hands  upon  the 
gunwale  of  the  boat,  which  enabled  me  to  obtain  a  little 
rest  after  my  long  swim. 

As  soon  as  I  had  recovered  breath,  I  attempted  to 
climb  in  over  the  side ;  but,  to  my  chagrin,  the  crank 
little  craft  sunk  under  my  weight,  and  turned  bottom 
upwards  —  as  if  it  had  been  a  washing-tub  —  plunging 
me  under  water  by  the  sudden  capsize.  I  rose  to  the 
surface,  and  once  more  laying  my  hands  upon  the  boat, 
climbed  up  to  get  astride  across  the  keel ;  but  in  this  I 
was  also  unsuccessful,  for,  losing  my  balance,  I  drew  the 
boat  so  much  to  one  side,  that  she  righted  again  mouth 
upwards.  This  was  what  I  should  have  desired ;  but 
I  perceived,  to  my  alarm,  that  she  was  nearly  full  of 
water,  which  she  had  shipped  in  turning  over.  The 
weight  of  the  water  steadied  her,  so  that  I  was  able  to 
draw  myself  over  the  gunwale  without  further  diffi- 
culty, and  got  safe  enough  inside ;  but  I  had  not  been 
there  a  second,  till  I  perceived  that  the  boat  was  sink- 
ing !  My  additional  weight  was  the  cause  of  this,  and 
I  saw  at  once  that  unless  I  leaped  out  again  she  would 
speedily  go  to  the  bottom.  Perhaps  if  I  had  preserved 
my  presence  of  mind  and  leaped  out  again,  the  boat 
might  still  have  kept  afloat.     But  what  with  my  fears, 


LOSS   OF   THE   DINGY.  51 

and  the  confusion  consequent  upon  the  various  duck- 
ings I  had  had,  my  presence  of  mind  was  gone,  and  I 
remained  standing  in  the  boat  up  to  my  knees  in  the 
water.  I  thought  of  baling  her  out,  but  I  could  find 
no  vessel.  The  tin  pan  had  disappeared  as  well  as  the 
oars.  The  former,  no  doubt,  had  sunk  as  the  boat  cap- 
sized, and  the  oars  were  floating  on  the  water  at  a  great 
distance  off. 

In  my  despair,  I  commenced  baling  out  the  water 
with  my  hands;  but  I  had  not  made  half  a  dozen 
strokes,  before  I  felt  that  she  was  going  down.  The 
next  instant  she  had  gone  —  sinking  directly  underneath 
me,  and  causing  me  to  jump  outwards  in  order  to  es- 
cape from  being  carried  down  in  the  vortex  she  had 
made. 

I  cast  one  glance  upon  the  spot  where  she  had  disap- 
peared. I  saw  that  she  was  gone  forever ;  and  heading 
away  from  the  spot,  I  swam  back  in  the  direction  of  the 
reef. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE    SIGNAL-STAFF. 


I  SUCCEEDED  in  reaching  the  reef,  but  not  without  a 
tough  struggle.  As  I  breasted  the  water,  I  felt  that 
there  was  a  current  against  me  —  the  tide  ;  and  this  it 
was,  as  well  as  the  breeze,  that  had  been  drifting  the 
boat  awaj.  But  I  got  back  to  the  reef,  and  there  was 
not  a  foot  to  spare.  The  stroke  that  brought  me  up  to 
the  edge  of  the  rocks,  would  have  been  my  last,  had  no 
rocks  been  there ;  for  it  would  have  been  the  last  I 
could  give,  so  much  was  I  exhausted.  Fortunately,  my 
strength  had  proved  equal  to  the  effort ;  but  that  was 
now  quite  gone,  and  I  lay  for  some  minutes  upon  the 
edge  of  the  reef,  at  the  spot  where  I  had  crawled  out, 
waiting  to  recover  my  breath. 

I  did  not  maintain  this  inactive  attitude  longer  than 
was  necessary.  This  was  not  a  situation  in  which  to 
trifle  with  time,  and  knowing  this,  I  got  to  my  feet 
again  to  see  if  anything  could  be  done. 

Strange  enough,  I  cast  my  eyes  in  the  direction 
whence  I  had  just  come  from  the  boat.  It  was  rather 
a  mechanical  glance,  and  I  scarce  know  why  I  should 
have  looked  in  that  particular  direction.  Perhaps  I 
had  some  faint  hope  that  the  sunken  craft  might  rise  to 


THE    SIGNAL-STAFF.  53 

the  surface  ;  and  I  believe  some  such  fancy  actually  did 
present  itself.  I  was  not  permitted  to  indulge  in  it, 
for  there  was  no  boat  to  be  seen,  nor  anything  like  one. 
I  saw  the  oars  floating  far  out,  but  only  the  oars ;  and 
for  all  the  service  they  could  do  me,  they  might  as  well 
have  gone  to  the  bottom,  along  with  the  boat. 

I  next  turned  my  eyes  toward  the  shore ;  but  noth- 
ing was  to  be  seen  in  that  direction,  but  the  low-lying 
land  upon  which  the  village  was  situated.  I  could  not 
see  any  people  on  shore  —  in  fact,  I  could  hardly  dis- 
tinguish the  houses  ;  for,  as  if  to  add  to  the  gloom  and 
peril  that  surrounded  me,  the  sky  had  become  overcast, 
and  along  with  the  clouds  a  fresh  breeze  had  sprung  up. 

This  was  raising  the  water  into  waves  of  considera- 
ble height,  and  these  interfered  with  my  view  of  the 
beach.  Even  in  bright  weather,  the  distance  itself 
would  have  hindered  me  from  distinguishing  human 
forms  on  the  shore ;  for  from  the  reef  to  the  nearest 
suburb  of  the  village,  it  was  more  than  three  statute 
miles. 

Of  course,  it  would  have  been  of  no  avail  to  have 
cried  out  for  assistance.  Even  on  the  calmest  day,  I 
could  not  have  been  heard,  and  fully  understanding 
this,  I  held  my  peace. 

There  was  nothing  in  sight  —  neither  ship,  nor  sloop, 
nor  schooner,  nor  brig  —  not  a  boat  upon  the  bay.  It 
was  Sunday,  and  vessels  had  kept  in  port.  Fishing 
boats,  for  the  same  reason,  were  not  abroad,  and  such 
pleasure  boats  as  belonged  to  our  village  had  all  gone 
in  their  usual  direction,  down  the  bay,  to  a  celebrated 
lighthouse  there  —  most  likely  the  boat  of  Harry  Blew 
among  the  rest. 


H  THE   BOY   TAR. 

There  was  no  sail  in  sight,  either  to  the  north,  the 
south,  the  east,  or  the  west.  Tlie  bay  appeared  de- 
serted, and  I  felt  as  much  alone  as  if  I  had  been  shut 
up  in  my  coffin. 

I  remember  distinctly  the  dread  feeling  of  loneliness 
that  came  over  me.  I  remember  that  I  sank  down  upon 
the  rocks  and  wept. 

To  add  to  my  agony  of  mind,  the  sea-birds  —  prob- 
ably angry  at  me  for  having  driven  them  away  from 
their  resting  place  and  feeding  ground,  now  returned ; 
and,  hovering  over  my  head  in  a  large  flock,  screamed 
in  my  ears  as  if  they  intended  to  deafen  me.  At  times, 
one  or  another  of  them  would  swoop  almost  within 
reach  of  my  hands ;  and,  uttering  their  wild  cries,  shoot 
off  again,  to  return  next  moment  with  like  hideous 
screams.  I  began  to  be  afraid  that  these  wild  birds 
might  attack  me,  though  I  suppose  in  their  demonstra- 
tions they  were  merely  actuated  by  some  instinct  of 
curiosity. 

After  considering  every  point  that  presented  itself  to 
my  mind,  I  could  think  of  no  plan  to  pursue,  other  than 
to  sit  down,  (or  stand  up,  if  I  liked  it  better,)  and  wait 
till  some  succor  should  arrive.  There  was  no  other 
course  left.  Plainly,  I  could  not  get  away  from  the  islet 
of  myself,  and  therefore  I  must  needs  stay  till  some  one 
came  to  fetch  me. 

But  when  would  that  be  ?  It  would  be  the  merest 
chance  if  any  one  on  shore  should  turn  their  eyes  in 
the  direction  of  the  reef ;  and  even  if  they  did,  they 
would  not  recognize  my  presence  there  without  the  aid 
of  a  glass.  One  or  two  of  the  watermen  had  telescopes 
—  this  I  knew  —  and  Harry  Blew  had  one ;  but  it  was 


THE   SIGNAL-STAFF.  55 

not  every  day  that  the  men  used  these  instruments,  and 
ten  chances  to  one  against  their  pointing  them  to  the 
reef.  What  would  they  be  looking  for  in  that  direction  ? 
No  boats  ever  came  or  went  that  way,  and  vessels 
passing  down  or  up  the  bay  always  gave  the  shoal  a 
wide  berth.  My  chances,  therefore,  of  being  seen  from 
the  shore,  either  with  the  naked  eye  or  through  a  glass, 
were  slender  enough.  But  still  more  slender  were  the 
hopes  I  indulged  that  some  boat  or  other  craft  might 
pass  near  enough  for  me  to  hail  it.  It  was  very  un- 
likely, indeed,  that  any  one  would  be  coming  in  that 
direction. 

It  was  with  very  disconsolate  feelings,  then,  that  I  sat 
down  upon  the  rock  to  await  the  result. 

That  I  should  have  to  remain  there  till  I  should  be 
starved,  I  did  not  anticipate.  The  prospect  did  not 
appear  to  me  so  bad  as  that,  and  yet  such  might  have 
been  the  case,  but  for  one  circumstance,  which  I  felt 
confident  would  arise  to  prevent  it.  This  was,  that 
Harry  Blew  would  miss  the  dingy,  and  make  search 
for  me. 

He  might  not,  indeed,  miss  her  before  nightfall  — 
because  he  might  not  return  with  his  boating  party 
before  that  time.  As  soon  as  night  came,  however,  he 
would  be  certain  to  get  home  ;  and  then,  finding  the 
little  boat  away  from  her  moorings,  he  would  naturally 
suspect  that  I  had  taken  her,  for  I  was  the  only  boy  in 
the  village,  or  man  either,  who  was  allowed  this  priv- 
ilege. The  boat  being  absent,  then,  and  not  even  re- 
turning at  night,  Blew  would  most  likely  proceed  to  my 
uncle's  house ;  and  then  the  alarm  at  my  unusual  ab- 
Bence  would  lead  to   a  search  for  me ;  which,  I  sup- 


56  THE   BOY   TAR. 

posed,  would  soon  guide  them  to  my  actual  where- 
abouts. 

Indeed,  I  was  far  less  troubled  about  the  danger  I 
w^as  in  than  about  the  damage  I  had  done.  How  could 
I  ever  face  my  friend  Blew  again  ?  how  make  up  for 
the  loss  of  his  boat  ?  This  was  a  serious  consideration. 
I  had  no  money  of  my  own,  and  would  my  uncle  pay  it 
for  me  ?  I  feared  not ;  and  yet  some  one  must  remu- 
nerate the  young  waterman  for  the  considerable  loss  1 
had  occasioned  him.  But  who  was  to  do  it,  or  how  was 
it  to  be  done  ?  If  my  uncle  would  only  allow  me  to 
■work  for  Harry,  thought  I,  I  might  make  it  up  to  him 
in  that  way.  I  would  be  willing  to  work  at  so  much  a 
week  till  the  boat  was  paid  for,  if  he  could  only  find 
something  for  me  to  do. 

I  was  actually  making  calculations  as  to  how  I  should 
make  good  the  loss  —  and  regarding  that  as  my  chief 
trouble  at  the  moment.  It  had  not  yet  occurred  to  me 
that  my  life  was  in  danger.  True,  I  anticipated  a 
hungry  night  of  it,  and  a  bitter  cold  one,  too.  I 
should  be  wet  through  and  through,  for  I  knew  that 
when  the  tide  returned  it  would  cover  the  stones  of 
the  reef,  and  I  should  have  to  stand  all  night  in  the 
water. 

By  the  w^ay,  how  deep  would  it  be  ?  Up  to  my 
knees  ? 

I  looked  around  to  discover  some  means  of  judging 
how  high  the  water  was  wont  to  rise.  I  knew  that  the 
rocks  would  be  all  covered,  for  I  had  often  seen  them 
so ;  but  I  had  been  all  my  life  under  the  impression, 
and  so  were  people  who  lived  on  the  shore,  that  the 
water  rose  only  a  few  inches  above  the  reef. 


.4 


THE   SIGNAL-STAFF.  57 

At  first,  I  could  observe  nothing  that  would  guide  me 
as  to  the  height,  but  at  length  my  eye  fell  upon  the  sig- 
nal-staff, and  ran  up  and  down  its  shaft.  There  was  a 
water-line,  sure  enough,  and  there  was  even  a  circle  of 
white  paint  round  the  post,  no  doubt  intended  to  mark 
it ;  but  judge  my  surprise,  my  absolute  terror,  when  I 
perceived  that  this  line  was  at  least  six  feet  above  the 
base  of  the  staff! 

Half  distracted,  I  ran  up  to  the  pole.  I  placed  my- 
self by  its  side,  and  looked  up.  Alas !  my  eye  had 
measured  but  too  correctly.  The  line  was  far  above 
my  head.  I  could  hardly  touch  it  with  the  tips  of  my 
fingers ! 

A  thrill  of  horror  ran  through  my  veins,  as  I  con- 
templated the  result  of  this  discovery.  The  danger  was 
too  clearly  defined.  Before  rescue  could  reach  me,  the 
tide  would  be  in.  I  should  be  overwhelmed  —  swept 
from  the  reef —  drowned  in  the  waste  of  waters  ! 


8* 


CHAPTER  X. 

CLIMBING   A    SMOOTH   POLE. 

My  belief  now  was  that  my  life  was  in  peril  —  nay, 
rather,  that  death  was  almost  certain.  My  hopes  of 
being  rescued  on  that  day  were  but  slight  from  the  first, 
but  now  they  were  slighter  than  ever.  The  tide  would 
be  back  long  before  night.  In  a  few  hours,  it  would 
be  at  its  flood,  and  that  would  be  the  end.  Should 
people  go  in  search  of  me  before  night  —  which,  for 
reasons  already  given,  was  not  at  all  likely  —  they 
would  be  too  late.  The  tide  would  not  wait  either  for 
them  or  for  me. 

The  mixed  feeling  of  horror  and  despair  that  came 
over  me,  held  me  for  a  long  time  as  if  paralyzed.  I 
could  not  give  consideration  to  anything,  nor  did  I  no- 
tice for  some  time  what  was  going  on  around  me.  I 
only  gazed  upon  the  blank  surface  of  the  sea,  at  inter- 
vals turning  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  helplessly 
regarding  the  waves.  There  was  neither  sail  nor  boat 
in  sight ;  nothing  to  relieve  the  dreary  monotony,  but 
here  and  there  the  white  wings  of  the  gulls,  flapping 
about  at -their  leisure.  They  no  longer  continued  to 
annoy  me  with  their  screaming,  though  now  and  then 
an  odd  one  would  return,  and  fly  very  near ;  as  if  won- 


CLIMBING   A   SMOOTH   POLE.  59 

dering  what  I  was  doing  in  such  a  place,  and  whether  I 
did  not  mean  to  go  away  from  it. 

From  this  state  of  gloomy  despair,  I  was  aroused 
by  a  gleam  of  hope.  My  eyes  had  fallen  upon  the 
signal-staff  —  the  sight  of  which  had  so  lately  caused 
me  a  feeling  of  the  opposite  kind ;  and  then  the  thought 
rushed  into  my  mind,  that  by  means  of  this  I  might  save 
myself. 

I  need  hardly  say  that  my  design  was  to  climb  to  its 
top,  and  there  remain  till  the  tide  should  go  down  again. 
One  half  the  post,  I  knew,  was  above  water-mark, 
even  at  high  tide ;  and  on  its  top  I  should  find  safety. 

It  was  only  a  question  of  climbing  up  the  staff;  but 
that  seemed  easy  enough.  I  was  a  good  tree  climber, 
and  surely  I  could  accomplish  this. 

The  discovery  of  this  place  of  refuge  filled  me  with 
renewed  hopes.  Nothing  could  be  easier  than  to  get 
up  ;  I  might  have  a  hard  night  of  it,  staying  up  there, 
but  there  could  be  no  danger.  The  peril  was  past  —  I 
should  yet  live  to  laugh  at  it. 

Buoyed  up  with  this  behef,  I  once  more  approached 
the  staff,  with  the  intention  of  climbing  up.  I  did  not 
intend  going  up  to  remain.  I  thought  it  would  be  time 
enough  when  my  footing  failed  me  below;  it  was  only 
to  make  sure  that  I  should  be  able  to  climb  the  pole 
when  the  hour  of  necessity  arrived. 

I  found  it  more  difficult  than  I  had  anticipated,  espe- 
cially in  getting  up  the  first  six  feet.  This  portion  of 
the  staff  was  coated  over  with  some  slimy  substance  — 
the  same  that  covered  the  rocks  around  —  and  this  ren- 
dered it  as  slippery  as  one  of  the  greased  poles  that  I 
had  seen  at  merrymakings  in  our  village. 


60  THE   BOY   TAR. 

It  cost  me  several  attempts  and  failures  before  I 
could  get  above  the  water-mark  ;  but  the  rest  was  more 
easj,  and  I  soon  reached  the  top  of  the  staff. 

I  stretched  my  hand  upward  to  seize  hold  of  the  bar- 
rel, and  draw  myself  up  upon  it  —  congratulating  my- 
self that  I  had  been  able  to  accomplish  my  object  — 
when  a  change  came  suddenly  over  my  feelings,  and  I 
was  once  more  plunged  into  despair. 

My  arm  was  too  short  to  reach  the  upper  rim  of  the 
cask.  I  could  only  touch  the  swell,  scarce  half-way  up. 
I  could  get  no  hold  upon  it,  either  to  stay  me  where  I 
was,  or  to  pull  myself  up  farther. 

I  could  not  remain  where  I  was.  In  a  few  seconds 
my  strength  gave  way,  and  I  was  forced  to  slide  down 
to  the  base  of  the  staff. 

I  tried  again,  with  no  better  success  ;  and  then  again, 
with  a  similar  result.  It  was  to  no  purpose.  Stretch 
my  arms  as  I  would,  and  wriggle  my  limbs  as  I  might, 
I  could  not  get  my  body  higher  than  the  point  where 
the  staff  was  set,  and  could  only  extend  my  hand  half- 
way up  the  rounded  swell  of  the  cask.  Of  course  I 
could  not  keep  there,  as  there  was  nothing  to  rest  my 
weight  upon,  and  I  was  forced  to  glide  back  to  the 
ground. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  renewed  alarm,  then,  that  I 
made  this  discovery,  but  I  did  not  as  before  yield  my- 
self up  to  despair.  Perhaps  my  wits  were  quickened 
by  the  peril  that  was  fast  approaching  me.  At  all 
events,  I  kept  my  senses  about  me,  and  set  to  consider- 
ing what  was  best  to  be  done. 

If  I  had  only  been  in  possession  of  a  knife,  I  might 
have  cut  notches  in  the  pole  high  up,  and  on  these 


CLIMBING   A    SMOOTH   POLE.  6X 

rested  my  feet ;  but  I  had  no  knife,  —  nothing  to  make 
notches  with,  —  unless  I  had  eaten  them  out  with  mj 
teeth.     Verilj,  I  was  in  a  ditHcult  dilemma. 

All  at  once,  however,  a  bright  thought  came  to  my 
relief  Why  might  I  not  raise  a  resting-place  from  be- 
low ?  Why  not  make  a  platform  by  building  stones 
around  the  post,  until  they  had  reached  above  water- 
mark, and  then  stand  upon  these  ?  The  very  thing 
itself  A  few  stones,  I  had  noticed  already,  were  piled 
around  the  base,  no  doubt  placed  there  to  make  the 
staff  more  firm.  It  would  only  be  to  bring  up  more 
stones,  build  them  into  a  cairn,  and  then  get  on  the  top 
of  them. 

Delighted  with  this  new  project  of  safety,  I  lost  not 
a  moment  in  setting  about  carrying  it  into  effect.  There 
were  plenty  of  loose  bowlders  lying  over  the  reef,  and  I 
supposed  that  in  a  few  minutes  I  could  heap  up  enough 
of  them  to  serve  the  purpose  ;  but  I  had  not  worked 
long  before  I  perceived  that  the  job  would  occupy  me 
longer  than  I  had  anticipated.  The  stones  were  slip- 
pery, and  this  hindered  me  greatly  in  carrying  them,  — 
some  were  too  heavy  for  me,  and  others  that  I  had 
supposed  to  be  loose,  I  found  to  be  half  buried  in 
sand,  and  held  so  fast  that  I  could  not  draw  them 
out. 

Notwithstanding  these  impediments,  I  worked  on  with 
all  the  strength  and  energy  I  could  command.  I  knew 
that  in  time  I  could  raise  the  cairn  as  high  as  required, 
but  time  had  now  become  the  all-engrossing  subject  of 
my  thoughts. 

The  tide  had  long  since  turned,  —  it  was  rising,  — 
slowly  and  continuously  it  was  lipping  nearer  and  nearer, 


62  THE   BOY   TAR. 

—  slowly  but  with  certainty  was  it  coming  ;  and  I  per- 
ceived all  this  ! 

I  had  many  a  fall,  as  I  scrambled  to  and  fro  ;  and 
my  knees  were  bleeding  from  contact  with  the  hard 
stones  ;  but  these  were  not  matters  to  grieve  about,  nor 
was  it  a  time  to  give  way  to  hardships,  however  painful 
to  endure.  A  far  greater  hardship  threatened,  —  the 
loss  of  life  itself,  —  and  I  needed  no  urging  to  make  me 
persevere  with  my  work. 

I  had  raised  the  pile  up  to  the  height  of  my  head 
before  the  tide  had  yet  risen  over  the  rocks,  but  I  knew 
that  this  would  not  be  high  enough.  Two  feet  more 
was  wanted  to  bring  the  top  of  my  cairn  on  a  level 
with  high-water-mark ;  and  to  accomplish  this  I  slaved 
away  without  thinking  of  a  moment's  rest.  The  work 
as  it  went  on  became  more  difficult.  The  loose  stones 
that  lay  near  had  all  been  used,  and  I  was  obliged  to  go 
far  out  on  the  reef  to  procure  others.  This  led  to  a 
great  many  severe  falls,  in  which  both  my  hands  and 
knees  were  badly  bruised  ;  besides,  it  prevented  me 
from  making  rapid  progress.  There  w^as  another  cause 
that  delayed  me.  At  the  height  of  four  feet  the  pile 
was  on  a  level  with  the  crown  of  my  head,  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  I  could  place  the  stones  higher  up.  Each 
one  occupied  me  for  minutes,  and  sometimes  a  heavy 
bowlder  which  I  had  succeeded  in  getting  up,  would  roll 
back  again,  endangering  my  limbs  in  its  fall. 

In  fine,  after  laboring  for  a  long  time,  —  two  hours, 
or  more,  —  my  work  was  brought  to  a  termination.  Not 
that  it  w^as  done  —  far  from  it.  Unfortunately,  it  was 
not  terminated,  but  interrupted.  What  interrupted  it  I 
need  hardly  tell  you,  as  you  will  guess  that  it  was  the 


CLIMBma  A    SMOOTH   POLE.  63 

tide.  Yes,  it  was  the  tide,  which,  as  soon  as  it  had 
fairly  begun  to  cover  the  stones,  seemed  to  rush  over 
them  all  at  once.  It  did  not  recoil,  as  I  have  often 
seen  it  do  upon  the  beach.  There  it  flows  in  gradually, 
wave  after  wave  ;  but  upon  the  reef — the  surface  of 
which  was  nearly  of  equal  height  —  the  water,  at  the 
first  rush,  swept  all  over  the  rocks,  and  was  soon  of  a 
considerable  depth. 

I  did  not  leave  off  my  exertions  until  long  after  the 
rocks  were  covered.  I  worked  until  I  was  knee-deep 
in  water,  bending  down  to  the  surface,  almost  diving 
under  it,  detaching  great  stones  from  their  bed,  and 
carrying  them  in  my  arms  towards  the  pile.  I  toiled 
away,  with  the  spray  spitting  in  my  face,  and  sometimes 
great  sheets  of  it  breaking  over  my  body,  until  I  feared 
it  would  drown  me,  —  toiled  on  till  the  water  grew  so 
deep,  and  the  sea  so  strong,  that  I  could  no  longer  keep 
my  footing  upon  the  rocks ;  and  then,  half  wading,  half 
swimming,  I  brought  my  last  stone  to  the  heap,  and 
hoisted  it  up.  Climbing  after,  I  stood  upon  the  highest 
point  of  the  battery  I  had  erected,  with  my  right  arm 
closely  hugging  the  shaft  of  the  signal.  In  this  atti- 
tude, and  with  trembling  heart,  I  watched  the  inflow  of 
the  tide. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

THE    RETURNING   TIDE. 

To  say  that  I  awaited  the  result  with  confidence 
would  not  be  at  all  true.  Quite  the  contrary.  Fear 
and  trembling  were  far  more  the  characteristics  of  my 
mind  in  that  hour.  Had  I  been  allowed  more  time  to 
build  my  cairn,  — ■  time  to  have  made  it  high  enough  to 
overtop  the  waves,  and  firm  enough  to  resist  them,  I 
should  have  felt  less  apprehension.  I  had  no  fear  that 
the  signal-stafi  would  give  way.  It  had  been  well 
proved,  for  there  had  it  stood  defying  the  storm  as  long 
as  I  could  remember.  It  was  my  newly-raised  cairn 
that  I  dreaded,  both  its  height  and  its  durability.  As 
to  the  former,  I  had  succeeded  in  raising  it  five  feet 
high,  just  within  one  foot  of  high- water-mark.  This 
would  leave  me  to  stand  a  foot  deep  in  water,  nor  did 
I  regard  that  in  the  light  of  a  hardship.  It  was  not  on 
this  account  I  had  such  uncomfortable  imaginings.  It 
was  altogether  a  different  thought  that  was  vexing  me. 
It  was  the  doubt  I  entertained  of  the  faithfulness  of  this 
water-mark.  I  knew  that  the  white  line  indicated  the 
height  of  the  full  tide  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
and  that  when  the  sea  was  calm,  the  surface  would  coin- 
cide with  the  mark  ;  but  only  when  it  was  dead  calm. 


THE    RETURNING    TIDE.  65 

Now  it  was  not  calm  at  that  moment.  There  was 
enough  of  breeze  to  have  raised  the  waves  at  least  a 
foot  in  height  —  perhaps  two  feet.  If  so,  then  two- 
thirds,  or  even  three-fourths,  of  my  body  would  be 
under  water,  —  to  say  nothing  of  the  spray  which  would 
be  certain  to  drive  around  me.  This,  however,  was 
still  far  less  than  I  had  to  fear.  Supposing  that  the 
breeze  should  continue  to  freshen,  —  supposing  a  storm 
should  come  on,  —  nay,  even  an  ordinary  gale,  —  then, 
indeed,  the  slight  elevation  which  I  had  obtained  above 
the  surface  would  be  of  no  avail,  —  for  during  storms  I 
had  often  observed  the  white  spray  lashing  over  that 
very  reef,  and  rising  many  feet  above  the  head  of  the 
signal-staff. 

"  Oh !  if  a  storm  should  arise,  then  am  I  lost  in- 
deed ! " 

Every  now  and  then  was  I  pained  with  such  an 
apprehension. 

True,  the  probabilities  were  in  my  favor.  It  was 
the  fair  month  of  May,  and  the  morning  of  that  day  one 
of  the  finest  I  had  ever  seen.  In  any  other  month,  a 
storm  would  have  been  more  regular ;  but  there  are 
storms  even  in  May,  and  weather  that  on  shore  may 
seem  smiling  and  bright,  is,  for  all  that,  windy  and  gusty 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  broad  sea,  and  causes  destruction 
to  many  a  fine  ship.  Moreover,  it  did  not  need  to  be  a 
hurricane  ;  far  less  than  an  ordinary  gale  would  be 
sufficient  to  overwhelm  me,  or  sweep  me  from  the  pre- 
carious footing  upon  which  I  stood. 

Another  apprehension  troubled  me,  —  my  cairn  was 
far  too  loosely  put  together.  I  had  not  attempted  to 
make  any  building  of  the  thing ;  there  was  not  time  for 


66  THE   BOY   TAR. 

that.  The  stones  had  been  hurled  or  huddled  on  top 
of  one  another,  just  as  they  dropped  out  of  my  hands; 
and  as  I  set  my  feet  upon  them  I  felt  they  were  far 
from  firm.  What  if  they  should  not  prove  enough  so  to 
resist  the  current  of  the  returning  tide,  or  the  lashing 
of  the  waves  ?  Should  they  not,  then  indeed  I  had 
labored  in  vain.  Should  they  fall,  I  must  fall  with 
them,  never  again  to  rise  ! 

No  wonder  that  this  added  another  to  the  many 
doubts  I  had  to  endure  ;  and  as  I  thought  upon  such  a 
mischance  occurring,  I  again  looked  eagerly  outward) 
and  ran  my  eyes  in  every  direction  over  the  surface 
of  the  bay  —  only,  as  on  every  other  occasion,  to  meet 
with  sad  disappointment. 

For  a  long  time  I  remained  in  the  exact  position  I 
had  first  assumed,  —  that  is,  with  my  arm  thrown  round 
the  signal-staff,  and  hugging  it  as  if  it  were  a  dear 
friend.  True,  it  was  the  only  friend  I  had  then  ;  but 
for  it  an  attempt  to  have  built  the  cairn  would  have 
been  vain.  Even  could  I  have  raised  it  to  the  full 
height,  it  is  neither  likely  that  it  would  have  stood  the 
water  or  that  I  could  have  held  my  position  upon  it. 
Without  the  staff  to  hold  on  to,  I  could  not  have  bal- 
anced my  body  on  its  top. 

This  position,  then,  I  kept,  almost  without  moving  a 
muscle  of  my  body.  I  dreaded  even  to  change  my  feet 
from  one  stone  to  another,  lest  the  movement  might 
shake  the  pile  and  cause  it  to  tumble  down,  and  I  knew 
that  if  once  down,  there  would  be  no  chance  to  build  it 
up  again.  The  time  was  past  for  that.  The  water  all 
around  the  base  of  the  staff  was  now  beyond  my  depth. 
I  could  not  have  moved  a  step  without  swimming. 


THE   RETURNING   TIDE.  67 

I  passed  most  of  the  time  in  gazing  over  the  water ; 
though  I  did  not  move  my  body,  I  kept  constantly 
turning  my  neck.  Now  looking  before,  then  behind, 
then  to  both  sides,  and  the  next  moment  repeating  these 
observations,  until  I  had  scanned  the  surface  for  the 
fiftieth  time,  without  sight  of  boat  or  ship  to  reward  me. 
At  intervals  I  watched  the  returning  tide,  and  the  huge 
waves  as  they  rolled  towards  me  over  the  reef,  coming 
home  from  their  far  wanderings.  They  appeared 
angry,  and  growled  at  me  as  they  passed,  as  if  to  chide 
and  scold  me  for  being  there.  What  was  I,  weak 
mortal,  doing  in  this  their  own  peculiar  home,  —  this 
ground  that  was  the  chosen  spot  for  their  wild  play  ?  I 
even  fancied  that  they  talked  to  me.  I  grew  dizzy  as 
I  watched  them,  and  felt  as  if  I  should  swoon  away  and 
melt  into  their  dark  flood. 

I  saw  them  rising  higher  and  higher,  until  they 
swept  over  the  top  of  my  cairn,  and  covered  my  feet 
resting  on  it ;  higher  still  and  yet  higher,  till  1  felt  them 
lipping  against  my  knees.  Oh  when  will  they  stay? 
When  will  they  cease  to  come  on  ? 

Not  yet  —  not  yet  —  higher  !  higher  !  till  I  stand  up 
to  the  waist  in  the  briny  flood,  and  even  above  that 
the  spray  washes  around  me  —  against  my  face  — 
over  my  shoulders  —  into  my  mouth,  and  eyes,  and 
ears  —  half  stifling  me,  half  drowning  me  !  Oh  merciful 
Father  ! 

The  water  had  reached  its  height  and  I  was  almost 
overwhelmed  by  it ;  but  with  desperate  tenacity  of  life 
I  held  out  —  closely  clinging  to  the  signal-shaft.  For  a 
very  long  time  I  held  on,  and,  had  no  change  occurred, 
T  might  have  been  able  to  keep  my  place  till  morning ; 


68  THE   BOY   TAR. 

but  a  change  was  near,  and  one  that  placed  me  in 
greater  peril  than  ever. 

Night  came  on  ;  and,  as  if  this  had  been  a  signal  for 
my  destruction,  the  wind  increased  almost  to  a  gale. 
The  clouds  had  been  scowling  thi-oughout  the  twilight, 
as  if  threatening  rain,  which  now  fell  in  torrents  —  the 
wind,  as  it  were,  bringing  the  rain  along  with  it.  I  per- 
ceived that  the  waves  were  every  moment  rising  higher, 
and  one  or  two  large  ones  now  swept  almost  over  me. 
So  great  was  their  strength  that  I  was  scarcely  able  to 
resist  it,  and  came  very  near  being  swept  away. 

I  was  now  full  of  fear.  I  saw  that  should  the  break- 
ers grow  larger,  I  could  not  hold  out  against  them,  but 
must  succumb.  Even  as  they  were,  it  was  doubtful 
whether  my  strength  would  hold  out. 

The  last  great  wave  that  struck  me  had  somewhat 
altered  my  foothold  upon  the  stones,  and  it  was  necessa- 
ry for  me  to  recover  it,  or  fix  myself  still  better.  For 
this  purpose  I  raised  my  body  a  little  by  my  arms,  and 
was  feeling  about  with  my  foot  for  the  most  elevated 
point  of  my  battery,  when  another  huge  wave  came 
rushing  along,  and  whipping  both  my  feet  off  the  stones, 
carried  them  out  from  the  shaft.  I  held  on  with  both 
arms,  and  for  some  moments  hung  almost  horizontally 
upon  the  water,  until  the  wave  had  passed.  Then  per- 
mitting my  feet  to  drop  down,  I  felt  once  more  for  the 
support  of  the  cairn.  I  touched  the  stones,  but  only 
touched  them.  As  soon  as  a  pound  of  my  weight  rested 
upon  them,  I  felt  the  cairn  crumbling  beneath  my  feet, 
as  if  it  had  melted  suddenly  away  ;  and,  no  longer  able 
to  sustain  myself,  I  glided  down  the  staff,  and  sank  after 
the  scattered  pile  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea ! 


CHAPTER  XIL 

HUGGING   THE    STAFF. 

Fortunately  for  me  I  had  learnt  to  swim,  and  that 
I  was  a  tolerably  good  hand  at  it.  It  was  the  most  use- 
ful accomphshment  I  could  have  possessed  at  that  mo- 
ment ;  and  but  for  it  I  should  have  been  drowned  on 
the  instant.  Diving,  too,  I  could  do  a  little  at,  else  the 
ducking  I  then  received  would  have  discomfited  me  a 
good  deal ;  for  I  went  quite  to  the  bottom  among  the 
ugly  black  stones. 

I  stayed  there  not  a  moment  longer  than  I  could 
help,  but  mounted  back  to  the  surface  like  a  duck  ;  and 
then,  rising  upon  the  wave,  looked  around  me.  My 
object  in  so  doing  was  to  get  sight  of  the  signal-staff, 
and  with  the  spray  driving  in  my  eyes  this  was  not  so 
easy.  Just  like  a  water-dog  searching  for  some  object 
in  the  water,  I  had  to  turn  twice  or  thrice  before  I 
saw  it  —  for  I  was  uncertain  in  which  direction  to  look 
for  it,  so  completely  had  the  sudden  plunge  blinded  me 
and  blunted  my  senses. 

I  got  my  eyes  upon  it  at  length  ;  not  within  reach, 
as  might  have  been  expected  —  but  many  yards  off, 
quite  twenty,  I  should  think  !  Wind  and  tide  had  been 
busy  with  me ;  and  had  I  left  them  to  themselves  for 


70  THE   BOY   TAR. 

ten  minutes  more,  they  would  have  carried  me  to  a 
point  from  which  I  should  never  have  been  able  to 
swim  back. 

As  soon  as  I  espied  the  post  I  struck  directly  for 
it,  —  not  indeed  that  I  very  clearly  knew  what  I  should 
do  when  I  got  there,  but  urged  on  with  a  sort  of  instinct 
that  something  might  interfere  in  my  favor.  I  was 
acting  just  as  men  act  when  in  danger  of  being  drowned. 
I  was  catching  at  straws.  I  need  not  say  that  I  was 
cool;. you  would  not  believe  me,  nor  would  there  be  a 
word  of  truth  in  it,  for  I  was  far  from  cool  in  the  moral 
sense  of  the  word,  whatever  I  might  be  personally  and 
physically.  On  the  contrary,  I  was  frightened  nearly 
out  of  my  senses  ;  and  had  just  enough  left  to  direct  me 
back  to  the  post  —  though  this  might  only  have  been 
instinct.  But  no  —  something  more  than  instinct  —  for 
I  had  at  the  same  time  a  keen  and  rational  sense  of  the 
unpleasant  fact,  that  when  I  should  arrive  at  the  post,  I 
might  not  be  a  bit  nearer  to  safety.  I  had  no  fear  about 
being  able  to  reach  the  staff.  I  had  confidence  enough 
in  my  natatory  powers  to  make  me  easy  on  that  score. 
It  was  only  when  I  thought  of  the  little  help  I  should 
find  there,  that  my  apprehensions  were  keen,  and  this  I 
was  thinking  of  all  the  while  I  was  in  the  water. 

I  could  easily  have  climbed  the  staff  as  far  as  the 
cask,  but  no  farther.  To  get  to  the  top  was  beyond  my 
power ;  one  of  those  difficulties  which  even  the  fear 
of  death  cannot  overcome.  I  had  tried  it  till  I  was 
tired  trying ;  in  short,  till  I  saw  I  could  not  do  it. 
Could  I  only  have  accomplished  that  feat,  I  might  have 
done  so  before,  for  I  took  it  for  granted  that  on  that 
high  perch  I  should  have  been  safe,  and  the  nine  gallon 


HUGGING   THE    STAFF.  71 

barrel  would  have  been  large  enough  to  have  given  me 
a  seat  where  I  might  without  difficulty  have  weathered 
the  storm. 

Another  reason  there  was  why  it  would  have  been 
the  best  place  for  me.  Had  I  succeeded  in  mounting 
up  there  before  nightfall,  some  one  upon  the  shore 
might  have  noticed  me,  and  then  the  adventure  would 
have  ended  without  all  this  peril.  I  even  thought  at 
the  time  of  those  things,  and  while  clambering  up  the 
shaft  entertained  hopes  that  some  one  might  observe 
me.  I  afterwards  learned  that  some  one  did  —  more 
than  one  —  idlers  along  shore  ;  but  not  knowing  who  it 
was,  and  very  naturally  believing  that  some  Sabbath- 
breaking  boys  had  gone  out  to  the  reef  to  amuse  them- 
selves,—  part  of  that  amusement  being  to  "  swarm  "  up 
the  signal-staff,  —  I  was  set  down  as  one  of  those,  and 
no  farther  notice  was  taken  of  me. 

I  could  not  have  continued  to  go  up  the  staff.  It 
speedily  tired  me  out;  besides,  as  soon  as  I  perceived 
the  necessity  for  erecting  the  platform,  I  needed  every 
second  of  the  time  that  was  left  me  for  that  work. 

All  the  above  thoughts  did  not  pass  through  my 
mind  while  I  was  in  the  water  struggling  back  to  the 
staff,  though  some  of  them  did.  I  thought  of  the  im- 
possibility of  climbing  up  above  the  barrel,  —  that  was 
clear  to  me ;  and  I  thought  also  of  what  I  should  do 
when  I  reached  the  post,  and  that  was  not  clear  to  me. 
I  should  be  able  to  lay  hold  upon  the  staff,  as  I  had 
done  before,  but  how  I  was  to  retain  my  hold  was  the 
unsolved  problem.  And  it  remained  so,  till  I  had  got 
up  and  seized  the  staff,  and  indeed  for  a  good  while 
after. 


72  THE   BOY   TAR. 

Well,  I  reached  the  pole  at  length,  after  a  great  deal 
of  buffeting,  having  the  wind  and  tide,  and  even  the 
rain  in  my  teeth.  But  I  reached  it,  and  flung  my  arms 
around  it  as  if  it  had  been  some  dear  old  friend.  Nor 
was  it  aught  else.  Had  it  not  been  for  that  brave  stick, 
I  might  as  well  have  stayed  at  the  bottom. 

Having  clutched  hold  of  it,  I  felt  for  some  moments 
almost  as  if  I  had  been  saved.  I  experienced  no  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  my  limbs  afloat  so  long  as  I  had 
such  a  support  for  my  arms  —  though  the  work  was 
irksome  enough. 

Had  the  sea  been  perfectly  calm,  I  could  have  stood 
it  for  a  long  time ;  perhaps  till  the  tide  had  gone  out 
again,  and  this  would  have  been  all  I  could  have  de- 
sired. But  the  sea  was  not  calm,  and  that  altered  the 
case.  There  had  been  a  short  lull  with  a  smoother  sea 
just  as  I  returned  to  the  staff,  and  even  this  was  a  for- 
tunate circumstance,  as  it  gave  me  time  to  rest  and 
recover  my  breath. 

Only  a  short  respite  it  was,  and  then  came  wind  and 
rain  and  rough  seas  —  rougher  than  ever.  I  was  first 
lifted  up  nearly  to  the  barrel,  and  then  let  down  again 
with  a  pitch,  and  then  for  some  minutes  was  kept 
swinging  about  —  the  staff  serving  as  a  pivot  —  like  some 
wonderful  acrobat  performing  his  feats  in  a  gymnasium. 

I  withstood  the  first  shock,  and  though  it  bowled  me 
about,  I  held  on  manfully.  I  knew  I  was  holding  on 
for  my  life,  and  "  needs  must ; "  but  I  had  slight  reason 
to  be  satisfied.  I  felt  how  near  it  was  to  taking  me, 
and  I  had  gloomy  forebodings  about  the  result.  Worse 
might  come  after,  and  I  knew  that  a  few  struggles  like 
this  last  would  soon  wear  me  out. 


HUGGING   THE    STAEF.  73 

What,  then,  could  I  do  that  would  enable  me  to  hold 
on  ?  In  the  interval  between  the  great  seas,  this  was 
my  ruling  thought.  If  I  had  only  been  possessed  of  a 
rope,  I  could  have  tied  myself  to  the  staff;  but  then  a 
rope  was  as  far  away  as  a  boat,  or  an  easy  chair  by  my 
uncle's  fireside.  It  was  no  use  thinking  of  a  rope,  nor 
did  I  waste  time  in  doing  so ;  but  just  at  that  moment, 
as  if  some  good  spirit  had  put  the  idea  into  my  head, 
I  thought  of  something  as  good  as  a  rope  —  a  substitute. 
Yes,  the  very  thing  came  up  before  my  mind,  as  though 
Providence  had  guided  me  to  think  of  it. 

You  are  impatient  to  hear  what  it  was.  You  shall 
hear. 

Around  my  arms  and  shoulders  I  wore  a  garment 
familiarly  known  as  a  "  cord  jacket "  —  a  roundabout 
of  corduroy  cloth,  such  as  boys  in  the  humbler  ranks  of 
life  use  to  wear,  or  did  when  I  was  a  boy.  It  was  my 
every-day  suit,  and  after  my  poor  mother's  death  it  had 
come  to  be  my  Sunday  wear  as  well.  Let  us  say  noth- 
ing to  disparage  this  jacket.  I  have  since  then  been 
generally  a  well-dressed  man,  and  have  worn  broadcloth 
of  the  finest  that  West  of  England  looms  could  produce  ; 
but  all  the  wardrobe  I  ever  had  would  not  in  one  bundle 
weigh  as  much  in  my  estimation  as  that  corduroy  jacket. 
I  think  I  may  say  that  I  owe  my  life  to  it. 

Well,  the  jacket  chanced  to  have  a  good  row  of  but- 
tons upon  it  —  not  the  common  horn,  or  bone,  or  flimsy 
lead  ones,  such  as  are  worn  nowadays,  but  good,  sub- 
stantial metal  buttons  —  as  big  as  a  shilling  every  way, 
and  with  strong  iron  eyes  in  them.  Well  was  it  for  me 
they  were  so  good  and  strong. 

I  had  the  jacket  upon  my  person,  and  that,  too,  was 


74  THE   BOY   TAR. 

a  chance  in  my  favor,  for  just  as  like  I  might  not  have 
had  it  on.  When  I  started  to  overtake  the  boat,  I  had 
thrown  off  both  jacket  and  trousers  ;  but  on  my  return 
from  that  expedition,  and  before  I  had  got  as  badly 
scared  as  I  became  afterwards^  I  had  drawn  my  clothes 
on  again.  The  air  had  turned  rather  chilly  all  of  a 
sudden,  and  this  it  was  that  influenced  me  to  re-robe 
myself.  All  a  piece  of  good  fortune,  as  you  will  pre- 
sently perceive. 

What  use,  then,  did  I  make  of  the  jacket?  Tear  it 
up  into  strips,  and  with  these  tie  myself  to  the  staff? 
No.  That  might  have  been  done,  but  it  would  have 
been  rather  a  difficult  performance  for  a  person  swim- 
ming in  a  rough  sea,  and  having  but  one  hand  free  to 
make  a  knot  with.  It  would  even  have  been  out  of  my 
power  to  have  taken  the  jacket  off  my  body,  for  the 
wet  corduroy  was  clinging  to  my  skin  as  if  it  had  been 
glued  there.  I  did  not  do  this,  then ;  but  I  followed 
out  a  plan  that  served  my  purpose  as  well  —  perhaps 
better.  I  opened  wide  my  jacket,  laid  my  breast  against 
the  signal-staff,  and,  meeting  the  loose  flaps  on  the  other 
side,  buttoned  them  from  bottom  to  top. 

Fortunately  the  jacket  was  wide  enough  to  take  in 
all.  My  uncle  never  did  me  a  greater  favor  in  his  life  — 
though  I  did  not  think  so  at  the  time  —  than  when  he 
made  me  wear  an  ugly  corduroy  jacket  that  was  "  miles 
too  big"  for  me. 

When  the  buttoning  was  finished,  I  had  a  moment  to 
rest  and  reflect  —  the  first  for  a  long  while. 

So  far  as  being  washed  away  was  concerned,  I  had 
no  longer  anything  to  fear.  The  post  itself  might  go, 
but  not  without  me,  or  I  without  it.     From  that  time 


HUGGmG   THE    STAFF.  75 

forward  I  was  as  much  part  of  the  signal-staff  as  the 
barrel  at  its  top,  —  indeed,  more,  I  fancy,  —  for  a  ship's 
hawser  would  not  have  bound  me  faster  to  it  than  did 
the  flaps  of  that  strong  corduroy. 

Had  the  keeping  close  to  the  signal-staff  been  all 
that.was  wanted  I  should  have  done  well  enough,  but, 
alas !  I  was  not  yet  out  of  danger ;  and  it  was  not  long 
ere  I  perceived  that  my  situation  was  but  little  improved. 
Another  vast  breaker  came  rolling  over  the  reef,  and 
washed  quite  over  me.  In  fact,  I  began  to  think  that  I 
was  worse  fixed  than  ever  ;  for  in  trying  to  fling  myself 
upward  as  the  wave  rose,  I  found  that  my  fastening 
impeded  me,  and  hence  the  complete  ducking  that  I 
received.  A\^hen  the  wave  passed  on,  I  was  still  in  my 
place  ;  but  what  advantage  would  this  be  ?  I  should 
soon  be  smothered  by  such  repeated  immersions.  I 
should  lose  strength  to  hold  up,  and  would  then  slide 
down  to  the  bottom  of  the  staff,  and  be  drowned  all  the 
same  —  although  it  might  be  said  that  I  had  "  died  by 
the  standard." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A    STATE    OF    "  SUSPENSE."  t 

I  HAD  not  lost  presence  of  mind  as  yet,  but  once 
more  set  about  considering  how  I  might  be  able  to  keep 
above  water.  I  could  easily  slide  up  the  staff  without 
taking  out  a  single  button  ;  but  once  up,  how  could  I 
remain  there  ?  I  should  certainly  come  slipping  down 
again.  Oh !  that  there  was  only  a  notch  —  a  knot  — 
a  nail  —  if  I  only  had  a  knife  to  make  a  nick ;  but 
knot,  notch,  nail,  knife,  nick  —  all  were  alike  denied 
me.  Stay  !  I  was  wrong  —  decidedly  wrong.  I  re- 
membered just  then  that  while  attempting  to  get  over 
the  barrel,  I  had  noticed  that  the  staff  just  under  it  was 
smaller  than  elsewhere.  It  had  been  flanged  off  at  the 
top,  as  if  to  make  a  point  upon  it,  and  upon  this  point 
was  placed  the  barrel,  or  rather  a  portion  of  the  top  was 
inserted  into  the  end  of  the  barrel. 

I  remembered  this  narrow  part.  It  formed  a  sort  of 
ring  or  collar  round  the  post.  Was  it  likely  that  the 
protuberance  would  be  large  enough  to  make  a  hold  for 
my  jacket,  and  prevent  it  from  slipping  back  ?  Likely 
or  not,  it  was  not  the  time  to  be  nice  about  the  choice 
of  expedients.     There  was  no  choice  —  this  or  nothing. 

Before  another  sea  could  reach  me,  I  had  "  swarmed  " 


A   STATE   OF   ''  SUSPENSE."  77 

up  the  pole.  I  tried  the  experiment.  It  would  not  do. 
I  came  sliding  down  again,  sadder  than  I  had  gone  up  ; 
and  as  soon  as  down,  I  was  treated  to  "  another  sorrow 
of  the  same  "  —  a  fresh  sea  that  ducked  and  drowned 
me  as  before. 

The  cause  of  my  failure  was  that  I  could  not  get  the 
collar  of  my  jacket  high  enough.  My  head  was  in  the 
way. 

Up  the  pole  again  with  a  new  thought.  A  fresh  hope 
had  arisen  in  my  mind,  as  soon  as  I  rose  out  of  the 
waves  ;  and  this  hope  was  that  I  might  fasten  some- 
thing around  the  top,  and  to  this  something  fasten  myself. 

But  what  was  the  something  to  be  ?  I  had  also 
thought  of  that;  and  you  shall  hear  what  it  was.  I 
chanced  to  have  upon  my  shoulders  a  pair  of  braces, 
and  fortunately  they  were  good  ones  —  no  peddler's 
stuff,  but  stout  braces  of  buckskin  leather.  This  was 
the  something  by  which  I  intended  to  hang  myself  up. 

I  lost  no  time  in  trying.  I  had  no  desire  to  stay 
longer  below  than  I  could  help,  and  I  soon  "  speeled " 
up  again.  The  jacket  served  a  good  purpose.  It 
helped  to  stay  me  on  the  staff;  and  by  pressing  my  back 
outward,  and  holding  well  with  my  feet,  I  could  remain 
a  good  while  without  getting  tired. 

Placing  myself  in  this  attitude,  I  unloosed  my  braces. 
I  acted  with  caution,  notwithstanding  my  disagreeable 
phght.  I  took  care  not  to  drop  them  while  knotting 
the  two  together;  and  I  also  took  care  to  make  the 
knot  a  firm  one,  as  well  as  to  waste  only  a  very  little 
of  the  precious  length  of  the  buckskin.  I  should  need 
every  inch  of  it. 

Having  got  them  both  into  one  piece,  I  made  a  loop 


78 .  THE    BOY    TAR. 

at  the  end,  taking  care  that  the  post  should  be  inside 
the  loop.  This  done,  I  pushed  the  loop  up  till  it  was 
above  the  shoulder  of  the  staff —  right  "  chuck  "  up  to 
the  barrel  —  and  then  I  drew  it  tight  and  close.  It 
remained  only  to  pass  the  other  end  through  my  but- 
toned jacket,  and  knot  it  round  the  cloth.  This  I 
managed  after  a  little,  and  then  lying  back,  tried  it  with 
my  whole  weight.  I  even  let  go  with  my  feet,  and 
hung  suspended  for  a  moment  or  two ;  and  had  any 
pilot  just  then  have  seen  me  through  his  night-glass,  he 
could  have  had  but  one  belief — that  suicide  or  some 
terrible  crime  had  been  committed. 

Overwearied,  half  drowned  was  I,  and  I  will  not  say 
whether  or  not  I  laughed  at  the  odd  attitude  in  which  I 
had  placed  myself;  but  I  could  have  laughed,  for  from 
that  moment  I  knew  no  further  fear.  I  felt  that  I  was 
delivered  from  death,  as  certainly  as  if  I  had  seen  Harry 
Blew  and  his  boat  rowing  within  ten  yards  of  me.  The 
storm  might  rage,  rain  fall,  and  wind  blow ;  spray  might 
pitch  over  and  around  me;  but  I  was  satisfied  that  I 
should  be  able  to  keep  my  position  in  spite  of  all. 

True,  it  was  far  from  being  as  comfortable  as  I  might 
have  wished  it ;  but  now  that  the  peril  was  past,  I  began 
to  consider  how  I  could  improve  it.  My  feet  gave 
me  the  most  trouble.  Every  now  and  then  my  legs 
exhibited  a  tendency  to  get  tired  and  let  go  their  hold, 
and  then  I  dropped  back  to  my  hanging  attitude  again. 

This  was  unpleasant  and  somewhat  dangerous,  but  I 
did  not  allow  it  to  vex  me  long.  There  was  a  cure  for 
this,  like  everything  else,  and  I  soon  discovered  it.  I 
split  up  the  legs  of  my  pantaloons  quite  to  the  knees, — 
as  good  luck  would  have  it  they  were  corduroy  like  the 


A    STATE    OF    "SUSPENSE.''  /^ 

jacket,  —  and  then  taking  the  two  long  pieces  that  hung 
down,  I  gave  them  a  twist  or  two,  passed  them  round 
the  post,  and  knotted  them  together  on  the  opposite 
side.  This  furnished  a  rest  for  the  lower  half  of  my 
body ;  and  thus,  half  sitting,  half  hanging,  I  passed  the 
remainder  of  the  night. 

When  I  tell  you  that  I  saw  the  tide  go  out,  and  leave 
the  rocks  bare,  you  will  think  I  surely  released  myself 
from  my  perch,  and  got  down  upon  the  reef.  But  I  did 
nothing  of  the  kind.  I  had  no  idea  of  trusting  myself 
on  those  rocks  again  if  I  could  help  it. 

I  was  not  comfortable  where  I  was,  but  still  I  could 
endure  it  for  a  while  longer ;  and  I  feared  to  make  any 
alteration  in  the  premises  lest  I  might  have  to  use  them 
again.  Moreover,  I  knew  that  where  I  was  I  should 
very  likely  be  seen  from  the  shore  as  soon  as  the  day 
broke,  and  then  relief  would  be  sure  to  be  sent  to  me. 

And  it  was  sent,  or  came  without  any  sending. 
Scarcely  was  the  red  Aurora  above  the  water-line, 
when  I  perceived  a  boat  making  towards  me  with  all 
speed ;  and  as  soon  as  it  drew  near,  I  saw,  what  I  had 
guessed  long  before,  that  it  was  Harry  Blew  himself  that 
was  handhng  the  oars. 

I  shall  not  tell  you  how  Harry  acted  when  he  came 
up ;  how  he  laughed,  and  shouted,  and  waved  his  oar- 
blade  in  the  air ;  and  then  how  kindly  and  gently  he 
lowered  me  down,  and  laid  me  in  his  boat ;  and  when  I 
told  him  the  whole  story,  and  how  his  boat  had  gone  to 
the  bottom,  instead  of  being  angry  with  me,  he  only 
laughed,  and  said  it  was  well  it  had  been  no  worse ; 
and  from  that  day  not  a  syllable  of  reproach  ever  passed 
his  lips  —  not  a  word  about  the  lost  dingy. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

FOE,   PERU to-morrow! 

Even  this  narrow  escape  had  no  effect.  I  was  not 
more  afraid  of  the  Avater  than  ever;  but  rather  liked 
it  all  the  more  on  account  of  the  very  excitement  which 
its  dangers  produced. 

Very  soon  after  I  began  to  experience  a  longing  to 
see  foreign  lands,  and  to  travel  over  the  great  ocean 
itself.  I  never  cast  my  eyes  out  upon  the  bay,  that 
this  yearning  did  not  come  over  me ;  and  when  I  saw 
ships  with  their  white  sails,  far  off  upon  the  horizon,  I 
used  to  think  how  happy  they  must  be  who  were  on 
board  of  them;  and  I  would  gladly  have  exchanged 
places  with  the  hardest  working  sailor  among  their 
crews. 

Perhaps  I  might  not  have  felt  these  longings  so 
intensely,  had  I  been  happy  at  home  —  that  is,  had  I 
been  living  with  a  kind  father  and  gentle  mother ;  but 
my  morose  old  uncle  took  little  interest  in  me  ;  and 
there  being,  therefore,  no  ties  of  filial  affection  to  attach 
me  to  home,  my  longings  had  full  play.  I  was  com- 
pelled to  do  a  good  deal  of  work  on  the  farm,  and  this 
was  a  sort  of  life  for  which  I  had  no  natural  liking. 

The  drudgery  only  increased  my  desire  to  go  abroad 


FOR   PERU to-morrow!  81 

—  to  behold  the  wonderful  scenes  of  which  I  had  read 
in  books,  and  of  which  I  had  received  still  more  glow- 
ing accounts  from  sailors,  who  had  once  been  fishermen 
in  our  village,  and  who  occasionally  returned  to  visit 
their  native  place.  These  used  to  tell  us  of  lions,  and 
tigers,  and  elephants,  and  crocodiles,  and  monkeys  as 
big  as  men,  and  snakes  as  long  as  ships'  cables  —  until 
their  exciting  stories  of  the  adventures  they  had  ex- 
perienced among  such  creatures,  filled  me  with  an  en- 
thusiastic desire  to  see  with  my  own  eyes  these  rare 
animals,  and  to  take  part  in  the  chasing  and  capturing 
of  them  as  the  sailors  themselves  had  done.  In  short, 
I  became  very  tired  of  the  dull  monotonous  life  which 
I  was  leading  at  home,  and  which  I  then  supposed  was 
peculiar  to  our  own  country  —  for,  according  to  our 
sailor-visitors,  in  every  other  part  of  the  world  there 
was  full  store  of  stirring  adventures,  and  wild  animals, 
and  strange  scenes. 

One  young  fellow,  I  remember,  who  had  only  been 
as  far  as  the  Isle  of  Man,  brought  back  such  accounts 
of  his  adventures  among  blacks  and  boa-constrictors,  that 
I  quite  envied  him  the  exciting  sports  he  had  there 
witnessed.  Though,  for  certain  reasons,  I  had  been 
well  schooled  in  writing  and  arithmetic,  yet  I  had  but 
a  slight  knowledge  of  geography,  as  it  was  not  a  prom- 
inent branch  of  study  in  our  school.  I  could  scarce  tell, 
therefore,  where  the  Isle  of  Man  lay ;  but  I  resolved, 
the  first  opportunity  that  offered,  that  I  should  make  a 
voyage  to  it,  and  see  some  of  the  wonderful  sights  of 
which  the  young  fellow  spoke. 

Although  this,  to  me,  would  have  been  a  grand  under- 
taking, yet  I  was  not  without  hopes  of  being  able  to 

4* 


82  THE    BOY    TAR. 

accomplish  it.  I  knew  that  upon  odd  occasions  a 
schooner  traded  from  our  port  to  this  famed  island, 
and  I  believed  it  possible,  some  time  or  other,  to  get  a 
passage  in  her.  It  might  not  be  so  easy,  but  I  was 
resolved  to  try  what  could  be  done.  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  to  get  on  friendly  terms  with  some  of  the  sailors 
belonging  to  the  schooner,  and  ask  them  to  take  me 
along  with  them  on  one  of  their  trips. 

While  I  was  patiently  waiting  and  watching  for  this 
opportunity,  an  incident  occurred  that  caused  me  to  form 
new  resolutions,  and  drove  the  schooner  and  three- 
legged  island  quite  out  of  my  head. 

About  five  miles  from  our  little  village,  and  further 
down  the  bay,  stood  a  large  town.  It  was  a  real  sea- 
port, and  big  ships  came  there  —  great  three-masted 
vessels,  that  traded  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  car- 
ried immense  cargoes  of  merchandise. 

One  day  I  chanced  to  have  been  sent  there,  along 
with  a  farm  servant  of  my  uncle,  who  drove  a  cart  full 
of  farm  produce  which  he  was  taking  to  the  town  for 
sale.  I  was  sent  to  assist  him,  by  holding  the  horse 
while  he  was  engaged  disposing  of  the  contents  of  the 
cart. 

It  happened  that  the  cart  was  drawn  up  near  one  of 
the  wharves  where  the  shipping  lay,  so  that  I  had  a  fine 
opportunity  of  looking  at  the  great  leviathans  of  vessels 
moored  along  the  quay,  and  admiring  their  tall  slender 
masts  and  elegant  rigging. 

There  was  one  ship  directly  opposite  to  us  that  par- 
ticularly attracted  my  admiration.  She  was  larger  than 
any  that  was  near,  and  her  beautifully  tapering  masts 
rose  higher  by  several  feet   than  those  of  any  other 


83 

vessel  in  the  port.  But  it  was  neither  her  superior 
size  nor  her  more  elegant  proportions  that  fixed  my 
attention  so  earnestly  upon  her  —  though  these  had  at 
first  attracted  it.  What  rendered  her  so  interesting  in 
my  eyes  was  the  fact  that  she  was  about  to  sail  very 
soon  —  upon  the  following  day.  This  fact  I  learnt  from 
a  large  board,  which  I  saw  fastened  in  a  conspicuous 
place  upon  her  rigging,  and  upon  which  I  read  the 
following :  — 

"  The  Inca  —  for  Peku  —  To-morrow." 

My  heart  began  to  thump  loudly  against  my  ribs,  as 
if  some  terrible  danger  was  near,  but  it  was  only  the 
emotion  caused  by  the  wild  thoughts  that  rushed  into 
my  mind  as  I  read  the  brief  but  stirring  announcement 
—  "  For  Peru,  to-morrow'^ 

Quick  as  lightning  ran  my  reflections,  all  having  their 
origin  in  the  question,  self-asked  —  why  cannot  I  start 
"  for  Peru,  to-morrow  ?  " 

Why  not  ? 

There  were  grand  impediments,  and  many  of  them  ; 
I  knew  that,  well  enough.  First,  there  was  my  uncle's 
servant,  who  was  by  my  side,  and  whose  duty  it  was  to 
take  me  home  again.  Of  course,  it  would  have  been 
preposterous  to  have  asked  his  consent  to  my  going. 

Secondly,  there  was  the  consent  of  the  people  of  the 
ship  to  be  obtained.  I  was  not  so  innocent  as  to  be 
ignorant  of  the  fact,  that  a  passage  to  Peru,  or  to  any 
other  part  of  the  world,  was  a  thing  that  cost  a  great 
deal  of  money ;  and  that  even  little  boys  like  myself 
would  not  be  taken  without  paying. 

As  I  had  no  money,  or  not  so  much  as  would  have 


84  THE   BOY   TAR. 

paid  for  a  passage  in  a  ferry-boat,  of  course  this  diffi- 
culty stared  me  m  the  face,  very  plainly.  How  was  I 
to  get  passage  ? 

As  I  have  said,  my  reflections  ran  as  quick  as  light- 
ning, and  before  I  had  gazed  for  a  dozen  minutes  upon 
that  beautiful  ship,  the  impediments,  both  of  the  pas- 
sage-money and  the  guardianship  of  the  farmer's  man, 
vanished  from  my  thoughts ;  and  I  had  come  to  the 
determination,  -with  full  belief  in  being  able  to  carry  it 
out,  that  I  should  start  for  Peru  to-morrow. 

In  what  part  of  the  world  Peru  lay,  I  knew  no  more 
than  the  man  in  the  moon  ;  not  near  so  much,  since  he 
has  a  good  view  of  it  on  moonlight  nights,  and  must 
know  very  well  where  it  is.  My  school  learning  had 
extended  no  farther  than  to  reading,  writing,  and  arith- 
metic. In  the  last  I  was  quite  an  adept,  for  our  village 
teacher  was  rather  clever  at  "  ciphering,"  and  took  great 
pride  in  proving  his  accomplishment,  by  communicating 
what  he  knew  to  his  pupils.  It  was  the  leading  branch 
of  study  in  his  school.  Geography,  however,  had  been 
neglected  —  almost  untaught  —  and  I  knew  not  in  what 
part  of  the  world  Peru  lay,  though  I  had  heard  that 
there  was  such  a  country. 

The  returned  sailors  already  mentioned  had  spoken 
much  about  Peru  —  that  it  was  a  very  hot  country, 
and  a  very  long  way  from  England,  a  full  six  months' 
voyage.  I  had  heard,  moreover,  that  it  was  a  country 
of  wonderful  gold  mines,  and  blacks,  and  snakes,  and 
palm-trees  ;  and  this  was  enough  for  me.  It  was  just 
the  sort  of  place  I  desired  to  see.  For  Peru,  then,  was 
I  bound,  and  in  the  good  ship  "  Inca." 

My  next  reflection  was,  how  I  should  act  —  how  get 


FOR   PERU  —  to-morrow!  85 

over  the  difficulty  about  the  passage-money,  and  also 
escape  from  the  guardianship  of  my  friend  "  John,"  the 
driver  of  the  cart.  The  former  would  appear  the 
greater  dilemma,  though  in  reality  it  was  no  such  thing ; 
at  least,  so  I  thought  at  the  time.  My  reasons  for  think- 
ing so  were  these :  I  had  often  heard  of  boys  running 
away  to  sea  —  of  their  being  accepted  on  board  ships, 
and  allowed  to  become  boy-sailors  and  afterwards  able 
seamen.  I  was  under  the  impression  that  there  was 
not  much  difficulty  about  the  matter,  and  that  almost 
any  boy  who  was  big  enough  and  smart  enough  would 
be  taken  aboard,  if  he  was  but  willing  to  work  for  it. 

My  only  apprehension  at  the  time  was  about  my  own 
bigness,  or  rather  "  littleness,"  for  I  knew  that  I  was 
still  but  a  very  small  shaver  —  smaller  even  than  my 
age  would  indicate  —  though  I  had  a  well-knit  frame, 
and  was  tolerably  tight  and  tough.  I  had  some  doubt, 
however,  about  my  size,  for  I  was  often  "  twitted  "  with 
being  such  a  very  little  fellow.  I  was  fearftil,  therefore, 
that  this  might  be  an  obstacle  to  my  being  taken  as  a 
boy-sailor ;  for  I  had  really  made  up  my  mind  to  offer 
myself  as  such  on  board  the  "  Inca." 

With  regard  to  "  John,"  my  apprehensions  were  very 
great.  On  the  first  impulse,  I  thought  of  no  other  plan 
than  to  give  him  the  slip,  and  leave  him  to  go  home 
without  me.  After  a  little  reflection,  I  perceived  that 
that  course  would  never  do.  John  would  be  back  in 
the  morning  with  half  a  dozen  of  his  kind  —  and  per- 
haps my  uncle  himself — in  quest  of  me.  They  would 
most  likely  arrive  before  the  ship  should  sail,  for  vessels 
rarely  take  their  departure  at  an  early  hour  in  the 
morning.     The  bellman  would  raise  the  hue  and  cry. 


86  THE   BOY   TAR, 

The  whole  town  w^ould  be  traversed,  and  perhaps  the 
ship  searched,  where,  of  course,  I  should  be  found,  de- 
livered up,  carried  home,  and,  beyond  doubt,  severely 
whipped ;  for  I  knew  my  uncle's  disposition  well  enough 
to  believe  that  that  would  most  certainly  be  the  wind- 
up  of  the  adventure.  No,  no,  it  would  never  do  to  let 
John  and  his  cart  go  home  without  me. 

A  little  reflection  convinced  me  of  this,  and  at  the 
same  time  helped  me  to  resolve  upon  a  better  plan. 
The  new  resolve  was  to  go  back  along  with  my  guar- 
dian John,  and  then  take  my  departure  from  home 
itself. 

Without  imparting  aught  of  my  design,  or  making 
John  in  any  way  my  confidant,  I  mounted  into  the  cart 
along  with  him,  and  rode  back  to  the  village.  I  reached 
home  as  quietly,  and  apparently  as  little  concerned  about 
anything  that  was  passing  in  my  mind,  as  when  I  had 
left  it  in  the  morning. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


RUNNING   AWAY. 


It  was  near  night  when  we  arrived  at  the  farm  ;  and 
I  took  care  during  the  remainder  of  the  evening  to  act 
as  naturally  as  if  there  was  nothing  unusual  in  my 
thoughts.  Little  dreamt  my  relatives  and  the  domes- 
tics of  the  farm-house  —  little  dreamt  they  of  the  big 
design  that  lay  hid  within  my  bosom,  and  which  at  in- 
tervals, when  I  reflected  upon  it,  caused  my  heart  to 
heave  again. 

There  were  moments  when  I  half  repented  of  my 
purpose.  When  I  looked  upon  the  familiar  faces  of 
home  —  for  after  all  it  was  home  —  the  only  home  I 
had  —  when  I  reflected  that  I  might  never  see  those 
faces  again  ;  when  I  reflected  that  some  of  them  might 
grieve  for  me  —  some,  I  knew,  would  grieve  —  when 
I  pondered  upon  the  deception  I  was  practising  upon 
all  of  them,  I  in  full  possession  of  a  design  of  which 
they  knew  nothing  ;  I  say  when  these  thoughts  were  in 
my  mind,  I  half  repented  of  my  purpose.  I  would 
have  given  the  world  for  a  confidant,  while  thus  waver- 
ing ;  and  no  doubt,  had  I  had  one  who  would  have  ad- 
vised me  against  going,  I  should  have  remained  at  home 
• — at  least,  for  that  time  —  though,  in  the  end,  my  way- 


88  THE    BOY    TAR. 

ward  and  aquatic  nature  would  have  carried  me  to  sea 
all  the  same. 

You  will  no  doubt  think  it  strange  that  under  these 
circumstances  I  did  not  seek  out  Harry  Blew,  and  take 
his  advice.  Ah  !  that  is  just  what  I  should  have  done, 
had  Harry  been  within  reach,  but  he  was  not ;  the  young 
waterman  was  a  waterman  no  more.  He  had  become 
tired  of  that  sort  of  life  months  ago,  had  sold  his  boat^ 
and  gone  off  as  a  regular  sailor  before  the  mast.  Per- 
haps if  Harry  Blew  had  been  still  at  home,  I  should 
not  have  so  much  wished  to  go  abroad ;  but  from  the 
time  that  he  left,  I  longed  every  day  to  follow  his  ex- 
ample ;  and  whenever  I  looked  seaward  over  the  bay,  it 
w^as  with  a  yearning  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  ex- 
plain. A  prisoner,  looking  through  the  bars  of  his 
prison,  could  not  have  felt  a  greater  longing  to  be  free, 
than  I  to  be  away,  far  away,  upon  the  bosom  of  the 
bright  ocean.  Had  the  young  waterman  only  been 
there  to  counsel  me,  perhaps  I  might  have  acted  differ- 
ently ;  but  he,  my  best  friend,  was  gone. 

And  now  I  had  no  confidant  to  whom  I  might  impart 
my  secret.  There  was  one  young  fellow,  a  farm  servant, 
whom  I  thouglit  I  might  have  trusted.  I  was  fond  of 
him,  and  I  believe  I  was  a  favorite  with  him  as  well. 
Twenty  times  I  had  it  on  my  tongue's  end  to  tell  him  of 
my  intention,  but  as  often  I  checked  myself.  I  did  not 
fear  that  he  would  betray  me,  provided  I  gave  up  my 
design  of  running  away  ;  but  I  fancied  he  would  advise 
me  against  it,  and  in  the  event  of  my  persisting,  then  he 
might  betray  me.  It  would  be  of  no  use  therefore,  seek- 
ing counsel  from  him,  and  I  kept  the  design  to  myself. 

I  ate  my  supper  and  went  to  bed  as  usual. 


RUNNING   AWAY.  89 

You  will  expect  to  hear  that  I  got  out  of  bed  and 
stole  away  in  the  night. 

Not  so.  I  kept  my  bed  till  the  usual  hour  for  rising, 
though  I  slept  scarce  a  wink.  The  thought  of  my  im- 
portant purpose  kept  me  awake,  and  during  the  few 
snatches  of  sleep  I  had,  I  dreamt  of  big  ships  and  roll- 
ing seas,  of  climbing  up  tall  masts,  and  dragging  black, 
tarry  ropes,  till  my  fingers  were  in  blisters. 

I  had  at  first  partly  made  up  my  mind  to  take  my 
departure  in  the  night,  which  I  could  easily  have  ef- 
fected without  danger  of  disturbing  any  one.  There 
were  no  burglars  in  our  quiet  little  village,  nor  had  any 
been  heard  of  for  years,  so  that  most  people  left  their 
outside  doors  on  the  latch.  The  door  of  my  uncle's 
house  was  on  that  night  particularly  free  of  egress,  for, 
it  being  summer,  and  the  weather  extremely  hot,  it  had 
been  left  "  on  the  jar."  I  could  have  slipped  out  with- 
out causing  it  even  to  creak. 

But  though  so  very  young,  I  was  not  without  some 
powers  of  ratiocination  ;  and  I  reasoned  that  if  I  ran 
away  in  the  night,  I  should  be  missed  at  an  early  hour 
of  the  morning,  and  consequently  sought  for.  The 
searchers,  or  some  portion  of  them,  would  be  pretty 
certain  to  follow  me  to  the  seaport  town,  and  find  me 
there  as  a  matter  of  course.  I  should  be  in  no  better 
position  than  if  I  had  given  John  the  slip  on  the  pre- 
ceding day.  Moreover,  it  was  but  five  or  six  miles  to 
the  town  —  1  should  go  over  the  ground  in  two  hours 
at  most  —  I  should  arrive  too  early,  before  the  people 
of  the  ship  would  be  stirring  —  the  captain  would  be 
abed,  and  therefore  I  could  not  see  him  to  offer  myself 
as  a  volunteer  in  his  service. 


90  THE    BOY     TAR. 

These  were  the  considerations  that  induced  me  to 
remain  at  home  until  morning  —  although  I  waited  im- 
patiently for  the  hour. 

I  ate  my  breakfast  along  with  the  rest.  Some  one 
observed  that  I  looked  pale  and  "  out  of  sorts."  John 
attributed  it  to  my  journey  of  the  preceding  day,  under 
the  hot  sun ;  and  this  explanation  seemed  to  satisfy 
every  one. 

After  breakfast  I  was  afraid  I  should  be  ordered  to 
some  work  —  such  as  driving  a  horse,  from  which  I 
might  not  easily  get  off —  some  one  might  be  set  to  a 
task  along  with  me,  who  might  report  me  too  soon  if  I 
should  absent  myself.  Fortunately  there  was  no  work 
fit  for  me  on  that  particular  day,  and  I  was  not  ordered 
about  anything. 

Taking  advantage  of  this,  I  brought  out  my  sloop, 
which  I  was  occasionally  in  the  habit  of  amusing  my- 
self with  during  hours  of  leisure.  There  were  other 
boys  who  had  sloops,  and  schooners,  and  brigs,  and  we 
used  to  have  races  over  the  pond  in  the  park.  It  was 
Saturday.  There  was  no  school  on  Saturday,  and  I 
knew  that  some  of  these  boys  would  repair  to  the  pond 
as  soon  as  they  had  breakfasted,  if  not  sooner.  This 
would  be  a  capital  excuse  for  my  going  there  ;  and 
with  the  sloop  ostentatiously  carried,  I  passed  through 
the  farm-yard,  and  walked  in  the  direction  of  the  park. 
I  even  entered  the  enclosure,  and  proceeded  to  the  pond, 
where,  as  I  had  conjectured,  I  found  several  of  my 
companions  with  their  little  ships  going  in  full  sail. 

"  Oh,"  thought  I,  "  if  I  w^ere  to  declare  my  inten- 
tions !  what  a  stir  it  would  make  if  the  boys  only  knew 
what  I  was  about  to  do  with  myself  ?  " 


RUNNING   AWAY.  91 

I  was  welcomed  by  the  boys,  who  seemed  glad  to  see 
me  once  more  among  them.  The  reason  of  this  was, 
that  of  late  I  had  been  kept  almost  constantly  at  work, 
and  found  but  few  occasions  when  I  could  join  them  at 
play,  and  I  believe  I  had  formerly  been  a  play  favorite 
with  most  of  them. 

But  I  remained  among  them  only  during  the  time  in 
which  the  fleet  made  one  voyage  across  the  lake  —  a 
miniature  regatta,  in  which  my  own  sloop  was  con- 
queror —  and  taking  the  little  vessel  under  my  arm,  I 
bade  them  good  day,  and  left  them. 

They  wondered  at  my  going  away  so  abruptly,  but  I 
found  some  excuse  that  satisfied  them. 

As  I  crossed  the  park  wall,  I  glanced  back  upon  the 
companions  of  my  childhood,  and  the  tears  ran  down 
my  cheeks  as  I  turned  away  from  them  forever. 

I  crouched  along  the  wall,  and  soon  got  into  the  high- 
road that  led  from  our  village  to  the  seaport  town.  I 
did  not  remain  upon  the  road,  but  crossed  it,  and  took 
into  the  fields  on  the  opposite  side.  My  object  in  doing 
this  was  to  get  under  cover  of  some  woods  that  ran  for 
a  good  distance  nearly  parallel  to  the  direction  of  the 
road.  Through  these  I  intended  to  travel,  as  far  as 
they  would  screen  me  from  observation  —  for  I  knew 
that  if  I  kept  on  the  road  I  should  run  the  chance  of 
being  passed  or  met  by  some  of  the  villagers,  who 
would  report  having  seen  me,  and  thus  guide  the  pur- 
suit in  the  right  direction.  I  could  not  guess  at  what 
hour  the  ship  might  weigh  anchor,  and  therefore  I  could 
not  make  my  time  for  absenting  myself  from  the  vil- 
lage. This  had  been  the  thought  that  troubled  me  all 
the  morning.      I  feared  to  arrive  too  soon  —  lest  the 


92  THE    BOY   TAR. 

vessel  might  not  sail  until  I  should  be  missed,  and  peo- 
ple sent  after  me.  On  the  other  hand,  I  dreaded  lest  I 
might  reach  the  port  too  late,  and  find  the  ship  gone. 
This  would  have  been  a  disappointment  worse  than  to 
be  taken  back,  and  whipped  for  the  attempt  at  running 
away  —  at  least,  so  I  should  have  considered  it  at  the 
time. 

I  say,  then,  that  this  was  the  thought  that  had  an- 
noyed me  all  the  morning,  and  still  continued  to  do  so 
—  for  it  no  longer  occurred  to  me  that  there  was  any 
danger  of  my  being  refused  once  I  offered  myself  on  the 
ship.  I  had  even  forgotten  that  I  was  so  small  a  boy. 
The  magnitude  of  my  designs  had  magnified  me,  in 
my  own  estimation,  to  the  dimensions  of  a  man.  * 

I  reached  the  woods,  and  traversed  them  from  end  to 
end  unseen.  I  met  neither  ranger  nor  gamekeeper. 
When  I  had  passed  through  the  timber,  I  took  into 
some  fields ;  but  I  was  now  at  a  good  distance  from  the 
road,  and  I  was  less  afraid  of  meeting  any  one  who 
knew  me.  I  could  tell  how  far  I  was  from  the  road, 
by  keeping  the  sea  in  sight  —  for  I  knew  that  the  former 
ran  close  to  the  beach. 

The  tall  spires  of  the  seaport  town  at  length  came  in 
sight,  and  by  these  I  was  enabled  to  guide  myself  in  the 
proper  direction. 

After  crossing  a  great  many  drains  and  ditches,  and 
scrambling  through  numerous  hedges  —  here  and  there 
making  a  bit  upon  private  roads  that  ran  in  the  right 
course  —  I  arrived  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  I 
made  no  pause  there,  but  directing  my  steps  among  the 
houses,  I  soon  found  a  street  that  led  towards  the  quay 
I  saw  the  tall  masts  as  I  approached,  and  wildly  beat 


RUNNING   AWAY.  93 

mj  heart  as  my  eyes  rested  upon  the  tallest  of  all,  with 
its  ensign  drawn  up  to  the  main  truck,  and  floating 
proudly  in  the  breeze. 

I  took  note  of  nothing  more  ;  but,  hurrying  forward, 
I  scrambled  over  the  broad  plank  staging  ;  and  having 
crossed  the  gangway,  stood  upon  the  deck  of  the 
"  Inca." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    "  INCA  "    AND    HER    CREW. 

On  crossing  the  gangway,  I  stopped  near  the  main 
hatchway,  where  five  or  six  sailors  were  busy  with  a 
large  pile  of  barrels  and  boxes.  I  saw  that  they  were 
lading  the  vessel,  and  with  a  tackle  were  lowering  the 
barrels  and  boxes  into  the  hold.  They  were  in  their 
shirt-sleeves,  some  with  Guernsey  frocks  and  wide  can- 
vas trousers,  smeared  with  grease  and  tar.  One  among 
them  wore  a  blue  cloth  jacket,  with  trousers  of  sim- 
ilar material,  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  he  might  be 
the  mate  —  for  I  fancied  that  the  captain  of  such  a  big 
ship  must  be  a  very  grand  individual,  and  very  superbly 
dressed. 

He  with  the  blue  jacket  was  constantly  giving  orders 
and  directions  to  the  sailors  at  work,  which  I  noticed 
were  not  always  promptly  obeyed  ;  and  frequently  the 
men  might  be  heard  suggesting  contrary  modes  of  ac- 
tion, until  a  hubbub  of  voices  would  arise  disputing 
about  the  proper  plan  for  executing  the  work. 

All  this  would  have  been  different  on  board  a  man- 
of-war,  where  the  order  of  an  officer  is  instantly  obeyed 
without  question  or  remark  ;  but  on  a  merchant  vessel 
it  is  far  otherwise.  The  orders  of  the  mate  are  often 
issued  more  as  counsels  than  commands,  and  the  men 


THE   "  INCA  "    AND    HER   CREW.  95 

exercise  a  sort  of  discretion  in  obeying  them.  This  is 
not  always  the  case,  and  depends  very  much  on  the 
character  of  the  mate  himself ;  but  on  board  the 
"  Inca  "  the  discipline  did  not  appear  to  be  of  the  strict- 
est. What  with  the  clatter  of  tongues,  the  "  skreek- 
ing "  of  pulley-blocks,  the  rattling  of  boxes  against 
each  other,  the  bundling  of  trucks  over  the  staging, 
and  other  like  sounds,  there  was  more  noise  than  I  had 
ever  heard  in  my  life.  It  quite  disconcerted  me  at 
first ;  and  I  stood  for  some  minutes  in  a  state  of  half 
bewilderment  at  what  I  heard  and  saw. 

After  a  while  there  was  a  sort  of  lull.  The  great 
water-butt  that  the  sailors  had  been  lowering  down  the 
hatchway  had  reached  the  hold  below,  and  been  rolled 
into  its  place,  and  this  produced  a  temporary  cessation 
in  the  noises. 

Just  then  one  of  the  sailors  chanced  to  set  his  eyes 
upon  me ;  and,  after  regarding  me  with  a  comic  leer, 
cried  out  — 

"  Ho  !  my  little  marlin-spike  !  What  might  you  be 
wantin'  aboard  ?  —  goin'  to  ship,  eh  ?  " 

"No,"  rejoined  a  second;  "don't  yer  see  he's  a 
captain  hisself?  —  got  his  own  craft  there!" 

This  remark  was  made  in  allusion  to  my  schooner, 
which  I  had  brought  along  with  me,  and  was  holding  in 
my  hands. 

"  Schooner  ahoy ! "  shouted  a  third  of  the  men. 
"  Whither  bound  ?  " 

This  was  followed  by  a  burst  of  laughter  from  all 
hands,  who  were  now  aware  of  my  presence,  and  stood 
regarding  me  as  though  I  w^as  something  extremely 
ludicrous  in  their  eyes. 


96  THE    BOY    TAR. 

I  was  rather  abashed  by  tliis  reception  on  the  part 
of  the  rough  tars,  and  remained  for  some  moments 
without  knowing  what  to  say  or  do.  But  I  was  reUeved 
from  my  uncertainty  by  the  mate  in  the  blue  jacket, 
who,  approaching  me,  asked,  in  a  more  serious  tone, 
what  was  my  business  aboard. 

I  replied  that  I  wanted  to  see  the  captain.  Of  course 
I  believed  that  there  was  a  captain,  and  that  he  was 
the  proper  person  to  whom  I  should  address  myself 
in  regard  to  the  business  I  had  in  view. 

"  Want  to  see  the  captain  ! "  echoed  my  interrogator. 
"  And  what  might  be  your  business  with  him,  young- 
ster ?     I'm  the  mate  —  won't  I  do  ?  " 

I  hesitated  a  moment ;  but  seeing  that  it  was  the 
captain's  representative  who  put  the  question,  I  thought 
there  could  be  no  harm  in  frankly  declaring  my  inten- 
tions.    I  replied  — 

"  I  wish  to  be  a  sailor  ! " 

If  the  men  had  laughed  loud  before,  they  now  laugh- 
ed louder.  In  fact  there  was  a  regular  yell,  in  which 
the  mate  himself  joined  as  heartily  as  any  of  them. 

Amidst  the  peals  of  laughter,  my  ears  were  greeted 
with  a  variety  of  expressions  that  quite  humiliated 
me. 

"  Look  yonder.  Bill ! "  cried  one,  addressing  a  com- 
rade who  was  at  some  distance.  "  Look  at  the  wee 
chap  as  w^ants  to  be  a  sailor.  My  eyes  !  You  little 
tuppence  worth  o'  ha'pence,  you  ain't  big  enough  for  a 
belayin'  pin  !     A  see-a-lor !     My  eyes  !  " 

"  Does  your  mother  know  yer  out  ? "  inquired  a 
second. 

"  No,  that  she  don't,"    said  a  third,  leaking  reply  for 


THE   "INCA"    and    her    CREW.  97 

me ;  "  nor  his  father,  neyther.  I'll  warrant,  now,  the 
chap  has  run  away  from  home.  Have  you  gi'n  'em  the 
slip,  little  sticklebat  ?  " 

"  Look  here,  youngster  ! "  said  the  mate.  "  Take  my 
advice :  go  back  to  your  mother,  give  my  compliments 
to  the  old  lady,  and  tell  her  to  take  a  turn  or  two  of  her 
petticoat  strings  round  you,  belay  them  to  the.  leg  of  a 
chair,  and  keep  you  safe  moored  there  for  half  a  dozen 
years  to  come  ! " 

This  advice  elicited  a  fresh  peal  of  laughter. 

I  felt  humiliated  at  this  rough  bantering,  and  knew 
not  what  reply  to  make.  In  my  confusion  I  stammered 
out  the  words  — 

"  I  have  no  mother  to  go  home  to  ! 

This  reply  appeared  to  produce  a  sudden  effect  upon 
the  mirth  of  these  rude-looking  men,  and  I  could  hear 
some  of  them  give  utterance  to  certain  expressions 
of  sympathy. 

Not  so,  however,  the  mate,  who,  without  changing 
his  tone  of  banter,  instantly  rejoined  — 

"  Well,  then,  go  to  your  father,  and  tell  him  to  give 
you  a  good  flogging  ! " 

"  I  have  no  father !  " 

"  Poor  little  chap  !  it's  a  horphin  arter  all ! "  said  one 
of  the  tars,  in  a  kind  tone. 

"  No  father  either,  you  say,"  continued  the  mMe,  who 
appeared  to  me  an  unfeeling  brute ;  "  then  go  to  your 
grandmother,  or  your  uncle,  or  your  aunt,  if  you've  got 
one  ;  or  go  anywhere  you  like,  but  get  about  your 
business  from  here,  or  I'll  trice  you  up,  and  give 
you  a  round  dozen  on  the  buttocks  —  be  off  now, 
I  say!" 

5 


98  THE    BOY    TAR. 

The  brute  seemed  fully  in  earnest ;  and,  deeply- 
mortified  by  the  threat,  I  turned  away  in  obedience  to 
the  command. 

I  had  reached  the  gangway,  and  was  about  to  step 
upon  the  plank,  when  I  observed  a  man  coming  in  the 
opposite  direction  —  from  the  shore.  He  was  dressed 
in  the  same  style  as  a  merchant  or  other  citizen  might 
have  been,  with  a  black  frock-coat  and  beaver  hat ;  but 
there  was  something  in  his  look  that  told  me  he  be- 
longed to  the  sea.  The  complexion  of  his  face  was 
of  that  weather  bronze,  and  there  was  an  expression  in 
the  eyes,  which  I  knew  to  be  characteristic  of  men  who 
lead  the  life  of  the  mariner.  Moreover,  his  trousers 
were  of  blue  pilot-cloth,  and  that  gave  him  a  seafaring 
look.  It  struck  me  at  the  moment  that  he  was  the 
captain  of  the  ship. 

I  was  not  long  in  doubt.  On  reaching  the  gangway, 
the  stranger  stepped  aboard  with  an  air  that  betokened 
him  the  master ;  and  I  heard  him  issue  some  orders  in 
a  tone  that  bespoke  his  full  command  of  everybody 
within  hearing. 

He  did  not  stop  after  going  aboard,  but  walked  on 
towards  the  quarter-deck  of  the  vessel. 

It  occurred  to  me  that  I  might  still  have  some  chance 
by  addressing  myself  directly  to  him  ;  and,  without 
hesitation,  I  turned  back  and  followed  him. 

In  spite  of  some  remonstrance  from  the  mate  and  one 
or  two  of  the  men,  I  kept  on  till  I  had  overtaken  the 
captain  just  as  he  was  about  to  dive  down  into  his 
cabin. 

I  arrested  his .  attention  by  plucking  the  skirt  of  his 
coat. 


THE   "INC a"   and   her   CREW.  9^^ 

He  turned  round  in  some  surprise,  and  inquired  what 
I  wanted  with  him. 

In  as  few  words  as  I  could  manage  it,  I  made  known 
my  wishes.  The  only  reply  he  made  me  was  a  laugh  ; 
and  then  turning  round,  he  cried  out  to  one  of  the 
men  — 

"  Here,  "Waters !  Hoist  this  urchin  upon  your 
shoulders,-  and  set  him  ashore.     Ha  !  ha  !  ha  ! " 

Without  saying  another  word,  he  stepped  down  the 
companion  ladder,  and  disappeared  out  of  my  sight. 

In  the  midst  of  my  chagrin,  I  felt  myself  lifted  in  the 
strong  arms  of  "  Waters,"  who,  after  carrying  me  across 
the  staging-plank,  and  some  yards  over  the  wharf, 
deposited  me  upon  the  pavement,  and  thus  addressed 
me  :  — 

"  Now,  my  little  sprat !  take  Jack  Waters's  advice, 
and  keep  out  o'  salt  water  as  long  as  you  can,  else  the 
sharks  may  get  hold  on  you." 

And  then,  after  a  pause,  during  which  he  seemed  to 
reflect  about  something,  he  inquired  — 

"  And  you're  a  horphin,  are  ye,  my  little  'un  ?  Got 
neyther  father  nor  mother  ?  " 

"  Neither,"  I  replied. 

"  A  pity  it  are  !  I  was  once  a  horphin  myself.  Well, 
yer  a  spunky  little  chap  to  be  wantin'  to  go  to  sea,  and 
ye  deserve  somethin'  for  it.  If  I  were  captain  I'd 
take  you  along ;  but  ye  see  I'm  only  afore  the  mast, 
and  kin  do  nothin'  for  ye ;  but  I'll  be  back  some  day 
again,  and  maybe  you'll  be  bigger  then.  Here,  take 
this  anyhow  for  a  keepsake,  and  by  it  you'll  remember 
me  till  sometime  when  you  see  me  in  port  again,  and 
who  knows  but  then  I  may  find  a  berth  for  you.     So 


100  THE   BOY   TAR. 

good-bye  now  !  Go  home  again,  like  a  good  boy,  and 
stay  there  till  you've  growed  a  bit." 

As  the  kind-hearted  sailor  said  this,  he  handed  me 
his  knife,  and  turning  away,  walked  back  on  board  his 
ship,  leaving  me  alone  upon  the  wharf. 

Wondering  at  his  unexpected  kindness,  I  stood 
gazing  after  him  till  he  disappeared  behind  the  bul- 
warks ;  and  then,  mechanically  putting  the  knife  in  my 
pocket,  I  remained  for  a  while  without  stirring  from 
the  spot. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

NOT   BIG   enough! 

My  reflections  were  anything  but  pleasant,  for  never 
had  I  been  so  mortified  in  my  Hfe.  All  my  fine  dreams 
of  reefing  topsails,  and  seeing  foreign  lands,  had  been 
dissipated  in  a  period  of  less  than  ten  minutes.  All  my 
plans  completely  frustrated. 

My  first  feeling  was  that  of  extreme  humiliation  and 
shame.  I  fancied  that  the  passers-by  must  all  be  aware 
of  what  had  transpired,  and  of  the  precise  situation  in 
which  I  stood.  I  saw,  moreover,  the  heads  of  several 
of  the  sailors  as  they  stood  looking  at  me  over  the  bul- 
warks, and  upon  their  faces  I  could  perceive  a  derisive 
expression.     Some  of  them  were  still  laughing  loudly. 

I  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and  without  hesitation  I 
hurried  away  from  the  spot. 

Near  at  hand  were  large  boxes,  barrels,  and  bales  of 
merchandise  lying  upon  the  wharf.  They  were  not 
piled  together,  but  scattered  about,  with  spaces  between 
them.  Into  one  of  those  spaces  I  glided,  and  was  soon 
out  of  sight  of  everybody,  while  everybody  was  equally 
hidden  from  my  sight.  I  felt  almost  as  if  I  had  got 
clear  of  some  danger ;  so  pleasant  is  it  to  escape  from 
ridicule,  even  though  one  may  feel  that  he  has  not  de- 
served it. 


102  THE   BOY   TAR. 

There  was  a  little  box  among  the  others,  just  big 
enough  for  a  seat,  and  upon  this  I  sat  down,  and  gave 
way  to  reflection. 

What  had  I  best  do  ?  Yield  up  all  thoughts  of  the 
sea,  and  return  to  the  farm,  and  my  crabbed  old  uncle  ? 

You  will  say  that  this  would  have  been  the  wisest 
course  for  me  to  have  pursued,  as  well  as  the  most 
natural.  Perhaps  so;  but  the  thought  of  doing  so 
scarcely  entered  my  mind.  I  did  certainly  entertain 
the  thought,  bilt  as  quickly  abandoned  it. 

"  No,"  said  I  to  myself,  "  I  am  not  yet  conquered ;  I 
shall  not  retreat  lilie  a  coward.  I  have  made  one  step, 
and  I  shall  follow  it  up,  if  I  can.  What  matters  it  if 
they  refuse  to  take  me  in  this  big  proud  ship  ?  There 
are  others  in  port  — scores  of  others.  Some  of  them 
may  be  glad  to  have  me.  I  shall  try  them  all  before 
I  give  up  my  design. 

"Why  did  they  refuse  me?"  I  asked  myself,  con- 
tinuing my  soliloquy.  "  Why  ?  They  gave  no  reason ; 
what  could  it  have  been  ?  Ha !  my  size  it  was  !  They 
compared  me  to  a  marlinespike,  and  a  belaying-pin. 
I  know  what  a  marlinespike  is,  and  a  belaying-pin,  too. 
Of  course,  they  meant  by  this  insulting  comparison  to 
insinuate  that  I  am  too  small  to  be  a  sailor.  But  a 
boy-sailor  —  surely  I  am  big  enough  for  that  ?  I  have 
heard  of  sailor-boys  not  so  old  as  I  am.  What  size  am 
I  ?  How  tall,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  Oh  !  if  I  only 
had  a  carpenter's  rule  I  would  soon  settle  that  point ! 
How  thoughtless  of  me  not  to  have  measured  myself 
before  leaving  home  !  Can  I  not  do  it  here  ?  I  won- 
der if  there  is  no  way  of  finding  out  how  tall  I  am." 

The  current  of  my  reflections  was  at  this  moment 


NOT   BIG   enough!  103 

broken  in  upon,  by  my  observing  on  one  of  the  boxes 
some  .figures  roughly  scratched  with  chalk,  and  on 
closer  inspection  I  made  out  the  cipher  to  be  "  4  ft." 
I  saw  at  once  that  it  referred  to  the  length  of  the  box, 
for  its  height  could  not  have  been  so  much.  Perhaps 
it  had  been  thus  marked  by  the  carpenter  who  made 
the  case,  or  it  may  have  been  put  on  to  guide  the 
sailors  in  lading  the  vessel. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  it  gave  me  an  idea ;  and  in  less 
than  three  minutes  I  knew  my  stature  to  an  inch. 

I  ascertained  it  in  the  following  manner:  —  I  laid 
myself  down  alongside  the  box,  and  close  in  to  its  edge. 
Having  placed  my  heels  on  a  level  with  one  end,  I 
stretched  myself  out  to  my  full  length.  I  then  felt 
with  my  hand  whether  the  crown  of  my  head  came 
flush  with  the  other  end  of  the  case.  It  did  not,  though 
there  was  scarce  an  inch  wanting  to  make  me  as  long 
as  the  box ;  but  wriggle  and  stretch  my  joints  as  I 
might,  I  could  not  get  more  than  square  with  it.  Of 
course,  it  made  no  difference  —  as  far  as  determining 
my  height  was  concerned;  if  the  box  was  four  feet 
long,  I  could  not  be  quite  four  feet ;  and  as  I  knew  a 
boy  of  only  four  feet  in  height  was  but  a  very  small 
boy  indeed,  I  rose  to  my  legs,  considerably  mortified  by 
the  knowledge  I  had  gained. 

Previous  to  this  measurement,  I  really  had  no  idea 
I  was  of  such  short  stature.  What  boy  does  think 
himself  much  less  than  a  man  ?  But  now  I  was  con- 
vinced of  my  littleness.  No  wonder  Jack  Waters  had 
called  me  a  sprat,  and  his  comrades  had  compared  me 
to  a  marlinespike  and  a  belaying-pin. 

The  knowledge  I  had  gained  of  my  Liliputian  stature 


104  THE    BOY   TAR. 

put  me  all  out  of  heart  with  myself,  and  my  designs 
now  assumed  a  more  gloomy  aspect.  I  felt  almost  sure 
that  none  of  the  ships  would  receive  me  ;  for  I  remem- 
bered that  I  had  never  heard  of  boy-sailors  so  small  as 
I  was.  Certainly  I  had  never  seen  any ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  some  nearly  as  large  as  men,  who  were  never- 
theless called  "  boys  "  on  board  the  brigs  and  schooners 
that  frequented  our  little  harbor.  It  would  be  hopeless, 
then,  for  me  to  offer  myself.  After  all,  I  should  have 
to  go  home  again. 

I  once  more  sat  down  upon  the  box,  and  proceeded 
to  reconsider  the  situation.  My  mind  is  rather  of  an 
inventive  turn,  and  it  had  a  bent  that  way  even  in 
earliest  youth.  It  was  not  long  before  a  plan  offered 
itself  that  promised  to  relieve  me  from  my  dilemma, 
and  enable  me  to  carry  out  my  original  intention  to  its 
full  extent. 

I  was  aided  by  memory  in  the  conception  of  this 
plan.  I  remembered  having  both  heard  and  read  of 
boys  —  and  men  as  well  —  concealing  themselves  aboard 
ships,  and  being  thus  carried  out  to  sea;  and  then 
crawling  forth  from  their  hiding-places,  when  the  ves- 
sels were  too  far  from  land  for  them  to  be  sent 
back. 

The  recollection  of  these  daring  adventurers  had 
scarcely  crossed  my  mind,  before  I  had  formed  the 
resolution  to  follow  their  example.  Quick  almost  as 
the  thought,  I  had  made  my  resolve.  I  could  hide 
myself  on  board  a  ship  —  perhaps  that  very  ship  from 
which  I^had  been  so  ignominiously  expelled.  She 
was  the  only  one  that  appeared  to  be  getting  ready  to 
sail;   but,  to  tell   the  truth,  had  there  been   a  dozen 


NOT   BIG-   enough!  105 

others  starting  at  the  same  time,  I  should  have  selected 
her  before  them  all. 

You  may  be  surprised  at  my  saying  so,  but  it  is  easily 
explained.  I  was  so  piqued  at  the  people  on  board, 
especially  the  mate,  on  account  of  the  uncivil  treatment 
he  had  shown  me,  that  I  felt  at  the  time  it  would  be  a 
sort  of  revenge  to  play  them  this  trick.  I  knew  that 
they  would  not  throw  me  overboard  ;  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  mate  himself,  I  had  not  noted  any 
symptoms  of  a  cruel  disposition  among  the  sailors.  Of 
course  it  was  natural  they  should  have  enjoyed  a  joke 
at  my  expense ;  but  I  remembered,  also,  that  some  of 
them  had  uttered  expressions  of  sympathy  when  they 
heard  from  me  that  I  was  an  orphan. 

In  the  big  ship,  then,  was  I  determined  to  have  pas- 
sage —  spite  of  mate,  captain,  and  crew ! 


5* 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


STEALING   ABOARD. 


But  how  was  I  to  get  aboard  ?  How  conceal  my- 
self when  there  ? 

These  were  the  difficulties  that  presented  themselves. 
I  might  walk  on  deck  as  I  had  already  done,  but  not 
without  being  observed  by  some  of  the  crew,  and  of 
course  ordered  ashore  again. 

Could  I  not  bribe  some  of  the  sailors  to  let  me  go 
about  the  deck  ?  What  had  I  to  bribe  them  with  ? 
Not  a  penny  of  money.  My  sloop  and  my  clothes  — 
these  last  of  very  poor  quality  —  were  all  I  possessed 
in  the  world.  I  would  have  given  the  sloop,  but  a 
moment's  reflection  convinced  me  that  no  sailor  would 
set  any  value  on  an  article  which  he  could  easily  make 
for  himself;  for  I  presumed  that  all  sailors  could  manu- 
facture little  ships  at  their  pleasure.  It  would  be  use- 
less to  attempt  bribing  any  of  them  with  such  a  toy, 
and  I  thought  no  more  of  it. 

But  stay  !  I  had  something  upon  my  person  of  some 
value  —  I  had  a  watch.  It  is  true  it  was  but  a  very 
common  one  —  an  old-fashioned  silver  watch,  and  not 
worth  much,  though  it  kept  time  well  enough.  It  had 
been  given  me  by  my  poor  mother,  though  she  had  left 


STEALING   ABOARD.  107 

me  a  much  better  one,  which  my  uncle  had  appropri- 
ated to  himself.  The  old  one,  of  little  value,  I  was 
allowed  to  carry  about  with  me,  and  fortunately  it  was 
in  my  fob  at  that  moment.  Would  not  this  bribe 
Waters,  or  some  other  of  the  sailors,  to  "  smuggle  "  me 
aboard,  and  conceal  me  there  till  the  ship  got  out  to 
sea?  The  thing  was  not  unhkely.  At  all  risks,  I 
resolved  to  make  trial. 

Perhaps  the  chief  difficulty  would  be  to  see  Waters  — 
or  any  of  the  sailors  apart  from  the  rest  —  in  order  to 
communicate  my  wishes  ;  but  I  resolved  to  hang  about 
the  ship,  and  watch  till  some  one  of  them  should  come 
ashore  alone. 

I  was  not  without  hopes  that  I  might  be  able  to  steal 
on  board  of  myself — perhaps  after  nightfall,  when  the 
men  had  "knocked  off"  work,  and  were  below  in  the  fore- 
castle. In  that  case,  I  need  not  tell  any  of  them  of  my 
design.  In  the  darkness,  I  believed  I  might  manage  to 
crouch  past  the  watch,  or  clamber  over  the  side  and  get 
down  below.  Once  in  the  hold,  I  had  no  fear  but  that 
I  should  be  able  to  secrete  myself  among  so  many  bar- 
rels and  boxes  as  they  were  stowing  away. 

There  were  two  doubts  that  troubled  me.  Would 
the  ship  remain  in  port  until  night  ?  Would  my  uncle 
and  his  people  not  be  after  me  before  then  ? 

For  the  first,  I  was  not  very  uneasy.  I  saw  that  the 
vessel  still  carried  the  same  placard  as  on  the  preceding 
day  —  "  The  Inca,  for  Peru,  to-morrow  !  "  It  was  not 
likely  she  would  sail  upon  that  day.  Moreover,  there 
were  still  many  packages  of  merchandise  lying  on  the 
quay  —  which  I  knew  were  intended  as  part  of  her 
lading,  from  the  position  in  which  they  were  placed.     I 


108  THE   BOY   TAR. 

had  heard,  moreover,  that  vessels,  when  bound  for  distant 
parts,  are  not  very  punctual  in  their  time  of  starting. 

Reasoning  in  this  way,  I  felt  assured  that  the  ship 
would  not  sail  on  that  day,  and  I  should  have  the 
chances  of  boarding  her  in  the  night  time. 

But  then  there  was  the  other  danger  —  of  my  being 
captured  and  carried  back  home.  On  reflection,  this 
did  not  appear  imminent.  They  would  not  miss  me  on 
the  farm  before  nightfall ;  or  if  they  did,  they  would 
wait  until  dark  before  going  in  search  of  me  —  thinking, 
of  course,  that  night  would  bring  me  home.  After  all, 
I  had  no  reason  to  be  apprehensive  from  this  source ; 
and  ceasing  altogether  to  think  of  it,  I  set  about  making 
preparations  to  carry  out  my  design. 

I  had  foresight  enough  to  perceive,  that  when  once  in 
the  ship,  I  should  have  to  remain  concealed  for  at  least 
twenty-four  hours  —  perhaps  much  longer.  I  could  not 
live  so  long  without  eating.  Where  was  I  to  get  provis- 
ions ?  I  had  not  —  as  already  mentioned  - —  one  penny 
in  the  world,  wherewith  to  purchase  food,  and  I  should 
not  have  known  where  or  how  to  beg  for  it. 

But  an  idea  came  into  my  head  that  promised  to  re- 
lieve me  from  this  dilemma.  I  could  sell  my  sloop,  and 
thus  obtain  wherewith  to  buy  something  to  eat. 

The  little  vessel  would  be  of  no  more  use  to  me  now ; 
and  why  not  part  with  her  at  once  ? 

Without  further  consideration,  therefore,  I  made  my 
way  out  from  among  the  barrels,  and  proceeded  along 
the  quay,  to  look  out  for  a  purchaser  for  my  little  craft. 

I  soon  succeeded  in  finding  one.  A  sort  of  marine 
toyshop  offered  itself ;  and  after  a  little  bartering  with 
the  proprietor,  I  closed  the  bargain  for  a  shilling.     My 


STEALING   ABOARD.  109 

little  sloop,  neatly  rigged  as  she  was,  was  worth  five 
times  the  amount,  and,  under  different  circumstances,  I 
would  not  have  parted  with  her  for  even  that  sum  ;  but 
the  Jew-dealer  evidently  saw  that  I  was  in  difficulties, 
and,  like  all  his  tribe,  had  no  scruples  about  taking 
advantage  of  them. 

I  was  now  in  ample  funds  for  my  purpose ;  and  re- 
pairing to  a  convenient  shop,  I  laid  out  the  whole  of 
the  money  on  cheese  and  crackers.  I  bought  sixpence 
worth  of  each ;  and  having  crammed  my  pockets  with 
my  purchase,  I  returned  to  my  old  place  among  the 
merchandise,  and  seated  myself  once  more  upon  the 
box.  I  had  grown  somewhat  hungry  —  for  it  had  got 
to  be  after  dinner  hour  —  and  I  now  relieved  my  appe- 
tite by  an  attack  upon  the  crackers  and  cheese,  which 
considerably  lightened  the  cargo  in  my  pockets. 

Evening  was  now  approaching,  and  I  bethought  me 
that  I  might  as  well  take  a  stroll  along  by  the  side  of 
the  ship,  by  way  of  a  reconnoissance.  It  would  enable 
me  to  ascertain  where  I  might  climb  over  the  side  most 
easily,  which  knowledge  would  be  of  use  to  me  when 
the  hour  should  arrive  for  making  the  attempt.  What 
if  the  sailors  did  see  me  going  about  ?  They  could  not 
hinder  me  from  walking  along  the  quay,  and  they 
would  never  dream  of  my  object  in  staying  there. 
What  if  they  should  take  notice  of  me,  and  taunt  me 
as  before  ?  I  could  talk  back  to  them,  and  thus  gain 
a  good  opportunity  for  observation  —  the  very  thing  I 
wanted. 

Without  losing  another  moment,  I  stepped  forth  from 
my  resting-place,  and  commenced  sauntering  along  — 
with  an  assumed  air  of  indifference  to  all  that  was  pass- 


110  THE   BOY   TAR. 

ing  around.  I  soon  came  opposite  the  stem  of  the  big 
ship,  where  I  paused  and  looked  up.  Her  deck  was 
nearly  on  a  level  with  the  pavement,  because  she  was 
now  heavily  laden,  and  of  course  at  full  depth  in  the 
water  ;  but  the  high  bulwarks  on  her  quarter  prevented 
me  from  seeing  the  deck.  I  perceived  that  it  would  be 
easy  to  step  from  the  quay,  and  after  clambering  up  the 
bulwarks,  get  over  by  the  mizzen  shrouds  ;  and  I  at 
once  made  up  my  mind  that  this  would  be  the  proper 
way.  Of  course,  I  should  have  to  creep  through  the 
shrouds  with  great  caution.  If  the  night  should  not 
prove  dark  enough,  and  I  should  be  detected  by  the 
watch,  it  would  be  all  up  with  me :  I  should  get  caught 
—  perhaps  suspected  as  a  thief  and  punished.  No  mat- 
ter —  I  was  resolved  to  risk  it. 

Everything  was  quiet  on  board.  I  heard  neither  voice 
nor  noises.  Some  of  the  merchandise  was  still  lying 
upon  the  wharf,  and  therefore  they  could  not  have  fin- 
ished lading  the  vessel.  But  the  men  were  no  longer 
at  work,  for  I  was  now  near  enough  to  have  a  view  of 
both  the  gangway  and  the  main  hatch.  Whither  could 
they  have  gone  ? 

I  moved  silently  forward,  until  I  stood  by  the  very 
end  of  the  staging.  I  had  now  a  full  view  of  the  hatch- 
way, and  a  considerable  portion  of  the  main  deck  around 
it.  I  saw  neither  the  blue  jacket  of  the  mate  nor  the 
greasy  garments  of  the  sailors.  All  the  men  must  have 
gone  away  to  some  other  part  of  the  ship. 

I  paused  and  listened.  Indistinctly,  I  could  hear  the 
hum  of  voices  coming  from  the  forward  part  of  the  ves- 
sel. I  knew  they  were  the  voices  of  the  crew  in  con- 
versation with  each  other. 


STEALING    ABOARD.  Ill 

Just  at  that  moment,  I  observed  a  man  pass  by  the 
opening  in  the  gangway.  He  was  carrying  a  large  ves- 
sel that  steamed  at  the  top.  It  contained  coffee  or  some 
other  hot  viand.  It  was  the  evening  meal  for  the  peo- 
ple of  the  forecastle,  and  he  who  carried  it  was  the  cook. 
This  accounted  for  the  cessation  of  the  work,  and  the 
absence  of  the  sailors  from  "  amidships."  They  were 
about  going  to  supper.     Such  was  my  conjecture. 

Partly  impelled  by  curiosity,  but  as  much  by  a  new 
idea  that  entered  my  mind,  I  stepped  upon  the  staging 
and  glided  cautiously  aboard.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  sailors  far  off  in  the  forward  part  of  the  ship  — 
some  seated  upon  the  windlass,  others  squatted  upon  the 
deck  itself,  with  their  tin  plates  before  them,  and  their 
jackknives  in  their  hands.  Not  one  of  them  saw  me 
—  not  one  was  looking  in  my  direction  :  their  eyes  were 
too  busy  with  the  cook  and  his  steaming  copper. 

I  glanced  hastily  around ;  there  was  no  one  in  sight. 
The  new  idea  to  which  I  have  referred  became  more 
fully  developed.  "  Now  or  never ! "  whispered  I  to  my- 
self; and  under  the  impulse,  I  stepped  down  upon  the 
deck,  and  crouched  forward  to  the  foot  of  the  main- 
mast. 

I  was  now  on  the  edge  of  the  open  hatchway ;  and 
it  was  into  this  I  intended  to  go.  There  was  no  ladder, 
but  the  rope  by  which  the  goods  had  been  lowered,  still 
hung  from  the  tackle,  reaching  down  into  the  hold. 

I  caught  hold  of  this  rope ;  and  pulled  on  it,  to  find 
if  it  was  securely  fastened  above.  It  proved  to  be  so ; 
and  grasping  it  firmly  with  both  hands,  I  slid  downward 
as  gently  as  I  could. 

It  was  a  close  shave  that  I  did  not  break  my  neck  — 


112  THE   BOY   TAR. 

and  as  it  was,  I  had  a  tumble  at  the  bottom  —  but  I  soon 
got  to  my  feet  again ;  and,  scrambhng  over  some  pack- 
ages that  were  not  yet  stowed  in  their  places,  I  crawled 
behind  a  huge  butt,  and  there  ensconced  myself  in  dark- 
ness and  silence. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
hurrah!  we  are  off! 

As  soon  as  I  had  screened  myself  behind  the  butt,  I 
squatted  down  ;  and,  in  five  minutes  after,  was  so  fast 
asleep,  that  it  would  have  taken  all  the  bells  of  Can- 
terbury to  have  waked  me.  I  had  got  but  little  sleep 
on  the  preceding  night,  and  not  a  great  deal  the  night 
before  that ;  for  John  and  I  had  been  early  up  for  the 
market.  The  fatigue,  moreover,  experienced  in  my 
cross-country  journey,  and  the  excitement  of  twenty- 
four  hours'  suspense  —  now  somewhat  allayed  —  had 
quite  done  me  up,  and  I  slept  as  sound  as  a  top,  only 
that  my  nap  lasted  as  long  as  that  of  a  thousand  tops. 

There  had  been  noises  enough  to  have  awaked  me 
much  sooner,  as  I  afterwards  ascertained.  There  had 
been  the  rattling  of  pulleys  and  banging  of  boxes  close 
to  my  ears,  but  I  heard  nothing  of  all  this. 

When  I  awoke,  I  knew  by  my  sensations  that  I  had 
been  a  long  while  asleep.  It  must  be  far  into  the  night, 
thought  I.  I  supposed  it  was  night  time  by  the  com- 
plete darkness  that  enveloped  me ;  for  on  first  squeezing 
myself  behind  the  butt,  I  noticed  that  light  came  in  by 
the  aperture  through  which  I  had  passed.  Now  there 
was  none.     It  was  night,  therefore,  and  dark  as  pitch 


114  THE   BOY   TAR. 

—  that,  of  course,  behind  a  huge  hogshead  down  in  the 
hold  of  a  ship. 

"  What  time  of  night  ?  I  suppose  they  have  all  gone 
to  bed,  and  are  now  snug  in  their  hammocks  ?  It  must 
be  near  morning  ?     Can  I  hear  any  one  stirring  ?  " 

I  listened.  I  had  no  need  to  listen  intently.  I  soon 
heard  noises.  They  were  evidently  caused  by  heavy 
objects  striking  and  bumping,  just  as  if  the  sailors  were 
still  busy  lading  the  vessel.  I  could  hear  their  voices, 
too,  though  not  very  distinctly.  Now  and  then  certain 
ejaculations  reached  me,  and  I  could  make  out  the  words 
"  Heave ! "  "  Avast  heavin' ! "  and  once  the  "  Yo-heave- 
ho  ! "  chanted  by  a  chorus  of  the  crew. 

"  Why,  they  are  actually  at  work  loading  the  vessel 
in  the  night  time  !  " 

This,  however,  did  not  greatly  surprise  me.  Perhaps 
they  wished  to  take  advantage  of  a  tide  or  a  fair  wind, 
and  were  hurrying  to  complete  the  stowage  of  the  ship. 

I  continued  to  listen,  expecting  to  hear  a  cessation  of 
the  noises  ;  but  hour  after  hour  passed,  and  still  the 
clinking  and  clanking  kept  on. 

"  How  very  industrious ! "  thought  I.  "  They  must 
be  pressed  for  time,  and  determined  to  start  soon.  True, 
the  placard  ^For  Peru  —  to-morrow  ! '  did  not  keep  faith 
to-day,  but  no  doubt  it  will  do  so  to-morrow,  at  a  very 
early  hour.  So  much  the  better  for  me ;  I  shall  the 
sooner  get  out  of  my  uncomfortable  situation.  It's 
rather  a  hard  bed  I've  had,  and  I  am  growing  hungry 
again." 

With  this  last  reflection,  I  was  very  willing  to  make 
a  fresh  onset  upon  the  cheese  and  crackers,  and  I  ac- 
cordingly did  so.     I  had  found  a  fresh  appetite  during 


hurra!    we  are  off!  115 

my  sleep,  and  I  ate  heartily,  though  it  was  the  middle 
of  the  night ! 

The  noise  of  the  lading  still  continued.  "  Oh  !  they 
are  going  to  keep  at  it  all  night.  Hard  work  it  is,  poor 
fellows ;  but  no  doubt  they  will  receive  double  wages 
for  it." 

All  at  once  the  sounds  ceased  and  there  was  profound 
silence  in  the  ship  —  at  least  I  could  hear  no  one  stirring 
about. 

"  At  last  they  have  knocked  off,"  thought  I ;  ''  they 
are  now  gone  to  bed ;  but  surely  it  must  be  near  day- 
break —  though  day  has  not  yet  broken,  else  I  should 
see  some  light  through  the  aperture.  Well !  I  shall  try 
to  go  to  sleep  again  myself." 

I  laid  me  down  as  before  and  endeavored  to  compose 
myself  to  sleep.  In  about  an  hour's  time  I  had  well- 
nigh  succeeded  in  doing  so,  when  the  thumping  of  the 
boxes  recommenced,  and  roused  me  up  afresh. 

"  What  ?  they  are  at  it  again !  Surely  they  cannot 
have  been  to  sleep  ?  —  an  hour  —  it  was  not  worth  their 
while  to  lie  down  for  an  hour." 

I  listened  to  assure  myself  that  they  had  really  set 
about  work  again.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  it.  I 
could  hear  the  clinking  and  clanking,  and  the  creaking  of 
the  pulley-blocks  just  as  before,  only  not  quite  so  loud. 

"  Well,"  thought  I,  "  it  is  a  strange  crew,  working 
thus  all  night  long.  Ha !  on  second  thoughts,  perhaps 
it  is  a  fresh  set  who  are  at  it — another  watch  that  has 
relieved  the  former  one  ?  " 

This  was  probable  enough  and  the  conjecture  satisfied 
me.  But  I  could  no  more  compose  myself  to  sleep,  and 
lay  listening. 


116  THE   BOY   TAR. 

Still  they  worked  on,  and  I  could  hear  the  noises 
through  the  longest  night  I  ever  remember.  Several 
hours  they  had  kept  at  it,  and  then  there  was  a  pause 
of  about  an  hour,  and  then  I  heard  the  work  progress- 
ing as  before,  and  as  yet  there  were  no  signs  of  morning 
—  not  a  ray  of  light  came  near  me ! 

I  began  to  fancy  I  was  dreaming,  and  that  those  spells 
of  work  that  seemed  to  last  for  hours  were  only  of  min- 
utes' duration.  And  yet,  if  they  were  only  minutes,  I 
must  have  been  gifted  with  a  strange  appetite,  for  no 
less  than  three  times  had  I  fallen  ferociously  upon  my 
provisions,  until  my  stock  was  wellnigh  exhausted. 

At  length  the  noises  ceased  altogether,  and  for  several 
hours  I  did  not  hear  them.  During  this  interval  there 
was  almost  complete  silence  above  and  around  me,  in 
the  midst  of  which  I  again  fell  asleep. 

When  I  awoke,  my  ears  were  once  more  greeted  with 
sounds,  but  these  were  quite  of  another  character  from 
those  I  had  before  been  listening  to.  They  were  to  me 
sounds  of  joy,  for  I  at  once  recognized  the  well-known 
"  crik-crik-crik "  of  a  windlass,  and  the  rattling  of  a 
great  chain.  Down  where  I  was,  in  the  hold,  I  did  not 
hear  these  noises  very  distinctly,  but  enough  so  to  know 
what  was  going  on  above.  They  were  weighing  the  an- 
chor—  the  ship  was  ahout  to  sail! 

I  could  scarce  restrain  myself  from  giving  a  cheer ; 
but  I  managed  to  keep  silence  —  fearing  that  my  voice 
might  be  heard.  It  was  not  yet  time.  If  heard, 
I  should  be  dragged  forth,  and  sent  packing  without 
ceremony.  I  therefore  lay  as  still  as  a  mouse,  and 
listened  to  the  great  chain  harshly  rasping  through 
the  iron  ring  of  the  hawse-hole.    Harsh  as  it  may  have 


117 

sounded  in  other  ears,  it  was  music  to  mine  at  that  mo- 
ment. 

The  clicking  and  rasping  both  ceased  after  a  while, 
and  then  another  sound  reached  me.  This  resembled 
the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind,  but  I  knew  it  was  not 
that.  I  knew  it  was  the  "  sough  "  of  the  sea  against 
the  sides  of  the  vessel.  It  produced  a  delightful  im- 
pression upon  my  mind,  for  it  told  me  that  the  big  ship 
was  in  motion  ! 

"  Hurrah  !  we  are  off! " 


CHAPTER   XX. 

SEA-SICK. 

The  continued  motion  of  the  vessel,  and  the  seething 
sound  of  the  water,  which  I  could  hear  very  plainly, 
convinced  me  that  we  had  parted  from  the  quay,  and 
were  moving  onward.  I  felt  completely  happy ;  there 
was  no  longer  any  fear  of  my  being  taken  back  to  the 
farm.  I  was  now  fairly  launched  upon  salt  water,  and 
in  twenty-four  hours  would  be  out  on  the  wide  Atlantic 

—  far  from  land,  and  in  no  danger  either  of  being  pur- 
sued or  sent  back.  I  was  in  ecstacies  of  delight  at  the 
success  of  my  plan. 

I  thought  it  rather  strange,  their  starting  in  the  night 

—  for  it  was  still  quite  dark,  —  but  I  presumed  they 
had  a  pilot  who  knew  all  the  channels  of  the  bay,  and 
who  could  take  them  into  the  open  water  just  as  well 
by  night  as  by  day. 

I  was  still  somewhat  puzzled  to  account  for  the 
extreme  length  of  the  night,  —  that  was  altogether  mys- 
terious, —  and  I  began  to  think  that  I  must  have  slept 
during  the  whole  of  a  day,  and  was  awake  for  two 
nights  instead  of  one.  Either  that,  or  some  of  it  must 
have  been  a  dream.  However,  I  was  too  much  joyed 
at  the  circumstance  of  our  having  started,  to  speculate 


SEA-SICK.  119 

upon  the  strangeness  of  the  hour.  It  mattered  not  to 
me  whether  we  had  set  sail  by  night  or  by  day,  so  long 
as  we  got  safely  out  into  the  great  ocean  ;  and  I  laid 
myself  down  again  to  wait  until  the  time  should  arrive 
when  I  might  safely  show  myself  on  deck. 

I  was  very  impatient  for  the  arrival  of  that  crisis  — 
and  for  two  special  reasons.  One  was,  that  I  had  grown 
very  thirsty,  and  longed  for  a  drink.  The  cheese  and 
dry  crackers  had  helped  to  make  me  so  thirsty.  I  was 
not  hungry  —  for  part  of  the  provision  was  still  left, 
but  I  would  gladly  have  exchanged  it  for  a  cup  of 
water. 

The  other  reason  why  I  wanted  to  get  out  of  my 
hiding-place  was,  that  my  bones  had  become  very  sore 
from  lying  so  long  on  the  hard  plank,  and  also  from  the 
cramped  attitude  I  was  compelled  to  assume,  on  account 
of  the  want  of  space.  So  full  of  pain  did  my  joints  feel, 
that  I  could  hardly  turn  myself  about ;  and  I  felt  even 
worse  when  I  continued  to  lie  still.  This  also  strength- 
ened my  belief  that  I  must  have  slept  during  the  whole 
of  a  day  —  for  a  single  night  upon  the  naked  timbers 
could  hardly  have  tired  me  so  much. 

What  with  the  thirst,  therefore,  and  the  soreness  of 
my  bones,  I  kept  fidgeting  and  wriggling  about  for 
several  hours,  without  intermission. 

For  these  two  reasons  I  was  very  impatient  to  crawl 
forth  from  my  narrow  quarters,  and  set  my  foot  upon 
deck  ;  but  for  other  reasons  I  deemed  it  prudent  to 
endure  both  the  thirst  and  the  aching,  and  remain  where 
I  was  for  some  time  longer. 

I  had  sufficient  knowledge  of  seaport  customs  to  be 
aware  that  ships  usually  take  a  pilot  a  good  way  out  to 


120  THE   BOY   TAR. 

sea,  and  in  all  likelihood  there  was  one  on  board. 
Should  I  show  myself  before  this  functionary  had  been 
dismissed,  I  would  certainly  be  taken  back  in  his  pilot- 
boat  ;  which,  after  all  my  success,  and  all  my  sufferings, 
would  have  been  a  humiliating  result. 

Even  had  there  been  no  pilot,  we  were  yet  in  the 
track  of  fishing  boats  and  small  coasting  vessels ;  and 
one  of  these,  inward  bound,  could  easily  be  brought 
alongside,  and  I  might  be  chucked  into  it  like  a  coil 
of  rope,  and  carried  back  to  the  port. 

These  considerations  passed  through  my  mind,  and 
despite  the  torment  of  thirst  and  the  painful  aching  of 
my  joints,  I  remained  within  my  lurking-place. 

For  the  first  hour  or  two,  the  ship  moved  steadily 
through  the  water.  It  was  calm  weather,  I  supposed, 
and  she  was  yet  within  the  shelter  of  the  bay.  Then  I 
perceived  that  she  began  to  sway  a  little  to  and  fro,  and 
the  rushing  of  the  water  along  her  sides  became  hoarser 
and  more  violent.  Now  and  then  I  could  hear  the  loud 
bumping  of  waves  as  they  struck  against  the  bows,  and 
the  timbers  creaked  under  the  concussions. 

These  sounds  were  not  displeasing.  I  reasoned  that 
we  had  got  out  of  the  bay,  and  were  passing  into  the 
open  sea,  where  I  knew  the  wind  was  always  fresher, 
and  the  waves  larger  and  bolder.  "  The  pilot,"  thought 
I,  "  will  soon  be  dismissed,  and  then  I  may  safely  show 
myself  on  deck." 

Of  course  I  was  not  without  misgivings  as  to  my 
reception  by  the  people  of  the  ship,  —  in  truth,  I  felt 
serious  apprehension  upon  that  score.  I  remembered 
the  harsh  brutal  mate,  and  the  reckless  indifferent  crew. 
They  would  be  indignant  at  the  deception  I  had  prac- 


SEA-SICK.  121 

tised  upon  them  —  perhaps  treat  rae  with  cruelty  —  flog 
me,  or  commit  some  other  outrage.  I  was  far  from 
being  easy  in  my  mind  about  how  they  would  use  me, 
and  I  would  fain  have  avoided  the  encounter. 

But  that  was  clearly  impossible.  I  could  not  keep 
concealed  for  the  whole  voyage,  for  long  weeks,  ay, 
months,  —  I  had  no  provisions,  no  water,  and  sooner  or 
later  I  must  go  on  deck,  and  take  my  chances. 

While  speculating  upon  these  chances,  I  began  to 
feel  very  miserable,  not  with  mental  anguish  alone,  but 
with  bodily  pain.  Worse  than  thirst  it  was,  or  the 
soreness  of  my  bones.  A  new  misery  was  fast  growing 
upon  me.  My  head  swam  with  dizziness,  the  sweat 
started  from  my  brow,  and  1  felt  sick  both  at  the  heart 
and  in  the  stomach.  I  experienced  a  suffocating  sensa- 
tion in  my  breast  and  throat  —  as  if  my  ribs  were  being 
compressed  inwardly,  and  my  lungs  had  not  room 
enough  to  expand  and  let  me  breathe.  My  nostrils 
were  filled  with  a  nauseating  smell,  —  the  smell  of 
"  bilge-water,"  —  for  being  at  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  I 
was  close  to  the  latter,  and  could  hear  it  "  jabbling  " 
about  under  the  timbers,  where  no  doubt  it  had  lain  for 
a  long  time.  In  all  these  symptoms  I  had  no  difficulty 
in  telling  what  ailed  me  :  sea-sickness  —  nothing  more. 
Knowing  this,  I  was  not  alarmed ;  but  yet  I  experienced 
horrid  sensations,  as  every  one  must  who  is  under  the 
infliction  of  this  peculiar  malady.  Of  course  I  felt  ten 
times  worse,  situated  as  I  was,  choking  with  thirst,  and 
no  water  near  ;  for  I  fancied  that  a  glass  of  pure  water 
would  to  some  extent  have  relieved  me.  It  might 
remove  the  nausea,  and  give  me  freer  breath.  I  would 
have  given  anything  for  one  mouthful. 


122  THE   BOY   TAR. 

In  di'ead  of  that  terrible  pilot,  I  bore  my  sufferings  as 
long  as  I  could.  But  the  rocking  of  the  ship  every 
moment  became  more  violent,  and  the  smell  of  the 
bilge-water  more  nauseous.  In  like  proportion  rose  the 
revolt  in  my  stomach,  until  the  sickness  and  retching 
became  quite  unendurable. 

"  Surely  the  pilot  must  have  gone  back  ?  Whether 
or  not,  I  can  stand  it  no  longer  ;  I  must  get  upon  deck, 
or  I  shall  die,  —  oh  !  " 

I  rose  from  my  recumbent  position,  and  began  to 
grope  my  way  along  the  side  of  the  great  butt.  I 
reached  the  end  of  it,  and  felt  for  the  aperture  by  which 
I  had  squeezed  myself  in.  To  my  great  surprise,  I 
found  that  it  was  closed  up  ! 

I  could  scarce  credit  my  senses,  and  I  felt  again  and 
again,  passing  my  hands  upwards  and  downwards.  Be- 
yond a  doubt  the  aperture  was  shut  up  !  My  hands 
met  resistance  everywhere,  coming  in  contact  with  a 
perpendicular  wall,  which,  I  could  tell  by  the  "feel," 
was  the  side  of  an  immense  box.  It  blocked  up  the 
interval  between  the  butt  and  the  side  of  the  ship  so 
completely,  that  there  was  not  space  enough  on  either 
side  to  thrust  the  point  of  my  finger  through. 

I  placed  my  hands  to  the  box  in  hopes  of  being  able 
to  push  it  away,  but  I  could  not  move  it.  I  laid  my 
shoulder  to  it,  and  heaved  with  all  the  strength  of  my 
body,  —  I  could  not  even  shahe  it  I  It  was  a  large 
packing-case,  no  doubt  filled  with  heavy  goods.  A 
strong  man  could  scarce  have  stirred  it  from  the  spot, 
and  my  puny  strength  Avas  altogether  insufficient  to 
move  it. 

After  an  effort  I  desisted  from  trying,  and  crept  back 


SEA-SICK.  123 

along  the  side  of  the  butt,  hoping  I  might  get  out  by 
the  other  end ;  but  on  reaching  this,  my  hopes  were 
dissipated  in  a  moment.  There  was  not  the  space  of  an 
inch  between  the  rim  of  the  great  cask  and  another 
similar  barrel,  which  filled  the  aperture  up  to  the  ribs 
of  the  vessel !  A  mouse  could  hardly  have  squeezed 
itself  through  between. 

I  next  felt  along  the  top  of  both  casks,  but  with  like 
result.  There  was  just  space  in  that  direction  to  admit 
of  passing  my  hand  through,  and  no  more.  A  huge 
beam,  traversing  along  the  top,  was  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  rounded  sides  of  the  casks,  and  there  was  no 
aperture  that  would  have  permitted  me  —  small  as  I 
was  —  to  have  squeezed  myself  through. 

I  shall  leave  you  to  fancy  my  feelings  when  the  con- 
viction broke  upon  me  that  I  was  actually  shut  in  — 
imprisoned  —  huilt  up  among  the  merchandise  I 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

ENTOMBED    ALIVE ! 

I  COULD  now  comprehend  why  the  night  had  seemed 
BO  long.  There  had  been  light  enough,  but  it  reached 
me  not.  The  great  box  had  intercepted  it.  There  had 
been  day,  and  I  knew  it  not.  The  men  had  been  work- 
ing by  day,  when  I  thought  it  was  after  midnight.  In- 
stead of  a  single  night,  at  least  two  nights  and  a  day 
bad  passed  since  I  crouched  into  my  hiding-place.  No 
wonder  I  had  hungered,  and  was  thirsty  —  no  wonder  I 
felt  an  aching  in  my  bones.  The  short  intervals  of 
silence  I  had  observed  were  the  hours  when  the  crew 
were  at  their  meals.  The  long  silence  that  preceded 
the  weighing  of  the  anchor,  had  been  the  second  night 
when  all  were  resting  and  asleep. 

I  have  stated,  that  I  fell  asleep  almost  instantly  after 
I  had  crept  into  my  lurking-place.  It  then  still  wanted 
several  hours  of  sunset.  My  sleep  had  been  sound  and 
long,  lasting,  no  doubt,  till  the  following  morning.  But 
on  the  previous  evening,  the  stowers  had  been  at  work 
— though  I  heard  them  not;  and  during  my  deep,  un- 
conscious slumber,  the  box,  and  no  doubt  many  others, 
had  been  placed  before  the  aperture. 

Every  point  was  now  clear  to  me,  and  clearer  than 
all  was  the  horrifying  fact  that  I  was  "  boxed  up." 


125 

I  did  not  at  first  comprehend  the  full  horror  of  my 
situation.  I  knew  that  I  was  shut  in,  and  that  no 
strength  I  could  exert  would  be  enough  to  get  me  out ; 
but  for  all  that,  I  did  not  apprehend  any  great  difficulty. 
The  strong  sailors,  who  had  stowed  the  packages,  could 
remove  them  again  ;  and  1  had  only  to  shout  and  bring 
them  to  the  spot. 

Alas !  alas  !  little  did  I  think  that  the  loudest  shout  I 
might  raise  could  not  have  been  heard  by  human  being. 
Little  did  I  suspect,  that  the  hatchway,  through  which  I 
had  descended  to  the  hold,  was  now  closed  with  its 
strong  hatches,  and  these  again  covered  with  a  thick 
tarpaulin  —  to  remain  so,  perhaps,  to  the  end  of  the 
voyage !  Even  had  the  hatches  not  been  down,  there 
would  have  been  little  chance  of  my  being  heard.  The 
thick  wall  of  bales  and  boxes  would  have  intercepted 
my  voice,  or  it  might  have  been  drowned  altogether  by 
the  hoarse  and  constant  rushing  of  the  waves,  as  they 
broke  along  the  sides  of  the  ship. 

I  say,  that,  on  first  discovering  that  I  was  closed  in, 
my  apprehensions  were  but  slight.  I  thought,  only, 
that  I  should  be  delayed  awhile  from  getting  water, 
which  I  now  longed  for  exceedingly.  It  would  take 
some  time,  no  doubt,  for  the  men  to  remove  the  boxes 
and  relieve  me  ;  and  meanwhile  I  was  in  misery. 
These  alone  were  the  thoughts  that  troubled  me. 

It  was  only  when  I  had  screamed  and  shouted  at  the 
highest  pitch  of  my  voice,  —  after  I  had  thundered  upon 
the  planks  with  the  heels  of  my  shoes,  —  after  I  had  re 
peated  my  cries  again  and  again,  and  still  heard  no  re 
ply ;  it  was  only  then,  that  I  began  to  comprehend  the 
true  nature  of  my  situation.     Then,  indeed,  did  I  per- 


126  THE   BOY   TAE. 

ceive  its  full  and  perfect  horror.  Then  did  the  convic- 
tion burst  upon  me,  that  I  had  no  prospect  of  escape  — 
no  hope  of  being  relieved;  in  short  —  that  I  was  en- 
tombed  alive  ! 

I  cried,  I  screamed,  I  shouted.  Long  and  loudly  I 
cried,  but  how  long  I  cannot  tell.  I  did  not  leave  off 
till  I  was  weak  and  hoarse. 

At  intervals  I  listened,  but  no  response  reached  me  — 
no  sound-of  human  voice.  The  echoes  of  my  own  rever- 
berated along  the  sides  of  the  ship,  throughout  the  dark 
hold;  but  no  voice  responded  to  its  lamentable  tones. 

I  listened  to  discover  whether  I  could  not  hear  the 
voices  of  the  sailors.  I  had  heard  them  in  their  chorus 
when  they  were  weighing  anchor,  but  then  the  ship  was 
at  rest,  and  the  waves  were  not  lashing  her  timbers. 
Moreover,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  the  hold  hatches 
had  then  been  up,  and  were  only  put  down  on  our 
standing  out  to  sea. 

For  a  long  while  I  listened,  but  neither  command 
nor  chorus  reached  my  ears.  If  I  could  not  hear  their 
loud  baritone  voices,  how  could  they  hear  mine  ? 

"  Oh  !  they  cannot  hear  me  !  They  will  never  hear 
me !  They  will  never  come  to  my  rescue  !  Here  I 
must  die  —  I  must  die  ! " 

Such  was  my  conviction,  after  I  had  shouted  myself 
hoarse  and  feeble.  The  sea-sickness  had  yielded  for  a 
time  to  the  more  powerful  throes  of  despair ;  but  the 
physical  malady  returned  again,  and,  acting  in  conjunc- 
tion with  my  mental  misery,  produced  such  agony  as  I 
never  before  endured.  I  yielded  to  it ;  my  energies 
gave  way,  and  I  fell  over  like  one  struck  down  by  pa- 
ralysis. 


127 


For  a  long  while  I  lay  in  a  state  of  helpless  stupor. 
I  wished  myself  dead,  and  indeed  I  thought  I  was  go- 
ing to  die.  I  seriously  believe,  that  at  that  moment  I 
would  have  hastened  the  event  if  I  could  ;  but  I  was 
too  weak  to  have  killed  myself,  even  had  I  been  pro- 
vided with  a  weapon.  I  had  a  weapon,  but  I  had  for- 
gotten all  about  it  in  the  confusion  of  my  thoughts. 

You  will  wonder  at  my  making  this  confession, — 
that  I  desired  death ;  but  you  would  have  to  be  placed 
in  a  situation  similar  to  that  I  was  in,  to  be  able  to  real- 
ize the  horror  of  despair.  Oh,  it  is  a  fearful  thing! 
May  you  never  experience  it ! 

I  fancied  I  was  going  to  die,  but  I  did  not.  Men  do 
not  die  either  from  sea-sickness  or  despair  —  nor  boys 
neither.     Life  is  not  so  easily  laid  down. 

I  certainly  was  more  than  half  dead,  however,  and 
I  think  for  a  good  while  insensible.  I  was  in  a  stupor 
for  a  long  time — for  many  hours. 

At  length  my  consciousness  began  to  return,  and 
along  with  it  a  portion  of  my  energies.  Strange 
enough,  too,  I  felt  my  appetite  reviving ;  for,  in  this 
respect,  the  "  sea-sickness  "  is  somewhat  peculiar.  Pa- 
tients, under  it,  often  eat  more  heartily  than  at  other 
times.  With  me,  however,  the  appetite  of  thirst  was 
now  far  stronger  than  that  of  hunger,  and  its  misery 
was  not  allayed  by  any  hope  of  its  being  appeased.  As 
for  the  other,  I  could  still  relieve  it;  some  morsels 
were  in  my  pocket. 

I  need  not  recount  the  many  fearful  reflections  that 
passed  through  my  mind.  For  hours  after,  I  was 
the  victim  of  many  a  terrible  paroxysm  of  despair. 
For  hours  I  lay,  or  rather  tossed  about,   in  a  state 


128  THE    BOY    TAR. 

of  confused  thought;  but  at  last,  to  my  relief,  I  fell 
asleep. 

I  fell  asleep,  for  I  had  now  been  a  long  time  awake, 
and  this,  with  the  prostration  of  my  strength  from  men- 
tal suffering,  had  at  length  deadened  the  nerve  of  pain ; 
so  that  despite  all  my  misery,  I  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

THIRST. 

I  SLEPT  neither  very  long,  nor  very  soundly.  My 
sleep  was  full  of  dreams,  all  troubled  and  horrid ;  but 
not  more  horrid  than  the  reality  to  which  I  once  more 
awoke. 

After  awaking,  it  was  some  time  before  I  could  think 
of  where  I  was  ;  but  on  stretching  out  my  arms,  I  was 
reminded  of  my  situation  ;  on  every  side  the  wooden 
walls  of  my  prison  were  within  reach,  and  I  could 
touch  them  with  my  fingers  all  around.  I  had  little 
more  than  room  sufficient  to  turn  myself  in.  Small  as 
was  my  body,  another  as  big  as  myself  would  almost 
have  filled  the  space  in  which  I  was  shut  up. 

On  again  comprehending  my  fearful  situation,  I  once 
more  gave  utterance  to  loud  cries,  —  shouting  and 
screaming  at  the  very  highest  pitch  of  my  voice.  I 
had  not  yet  lost  all  hope  that  the  sailors  might  hear 
me  ;  for,  as  already  stated,  I  knew  not  what  quantity  of 
merchandise  might  be  stowed  above  me,  nor  did  I  think 
of  the  hatches  of  the  lower  deck  being  fastened  down. 

Perhaps  it  was  as  well  I  did  not  know  the  whole  truth, 

else  the  complete  despair  which  the    knowledge  must 

have  produced  might  have  driven  me  out  of  my  senses. 

As  it  was,  the  intervals  of  despair  already  endured  had 

6* 


130  THE    BOY    TAR. 

ever  alternated  with  glimpses  of  hope  ;  and  this  had  sus- 
tained me,  until  I  became  more  able  to  look  my  terrible 
fate  in  the  face. 

I  continued  to  cry  out,  sometimes  for  minutes  at  a 
time,  and  then  only  now  and  again,  at  intervals  ;  but  as 
no  response  came,  the  intervals  between  my  spells  of 
shouting  became  longer  and  longer,  till  at  length,  resign- 
ing all  hope  of  being  heard,  I  allowed  my  hoarse  voice 
to  rest,  and  remained  silent. 

For  several  hours  after  this,  I  lay  in  a  sort  of  half 
stupor,  —  that  is,  my  mind  was  in  this  state,  but  unfortu- 
nately my  body  was  not  so.  On  the  contrary,  I  was 
racked  with  severe  bodily  pain,  —  the  pain  of  extreme 
thirst,  —  perhaps  the  most  grievous  and  hardest  to  en- 
dure of  all  physical  suffering.  I  never  should  have  be- 
lieved that  one  could  be  so  tortured  by  so  simple  a  thing 
as  the  want  of  a  drink  of  water ;  and  when  I  used  to  read 
of  travellers  in  the  desert,  and  shipwrecked  mariners  on 
the  ocean,  having  endured  such  agonies  from  thirst,  as 
even  to  die  of  it,  I  always  fancied  there  was  exaggera- 
tion in  the  narrative.  Like  all  English  boys,  brought 
up  in  a  climate  where  there  is  plenty  of  moisture,  and 
in  a  country  where  springs  or  runlets  exist  within  a  few 
hundred  yards  of  any  given  point,  it  is  not  likely  I 
should  ever  have  known  thirst  by  experience.  Perhaps 
a  little  of  it  at  times,  when  at  play  off  in  the  fields,  or 
by  the  sea-shore,  where  there  was  no  fresh  water.  Then 
I  had  felt  what  we  ordinarily  call  thirst  —  a  somewhat 
unpleasant  sensation  in  the  throat,  which  causes  us  to 
yearn  for  ^.  glass  of  water.  But  this  unpleasantness  i« 
very  trifling,  and  is  almost  neutralized  by  the  anticipa- 
tion we  have  of  the  pleasure  to  be  experienced  while 


THIRST.  131 

allaying  it ;  for  this,  we  know,  we  shall  be  able  to  accom- 
plish in  a  very  short  time.  Indeed,  so  trifling  is  the 
annoyance  we  feel  from  ordinary  thirst,  that  it  is  rare 
when  we  are  compelled  to  stoop,  either  to  the  ditch 
or  the  pond,  for  the  purpose  of  assuaging  it.  We  are 
dainty  enough  to  wait,  until  we  encounter  a  cool  well  or 
some  limpid  spring. 

This,  however,  is  not  thirst ;  it  is  but  thirst  in  its  first 
and  mildest  stage  —  rather  pleasant  from  the  knowledge 
you  have  of  being  able  soon  to  remove  the  pain.  Once 
take  away  this  confidence  —  become  assured  that  no 
wells  nor  springs  are  near  —  no  ponds,  ditches,  lakes 
nor  rivers  —  that  no  fresh  water  is  within  hundreds  of 
miles  of  you  —  no  fluid  of  any  kind  that  will  allay  the 
appetite,  and  then  even  this  incipient  feeling  of  thirst 
would  at  once  assume  a  new  character,  and  become 
sufficiently  painful  to  endure. 

I  may  not  have  been  so  absolutely  in  need  of  drink  at 
the  time  —  for  I  had  not  been  so  long  without  it.  I  am 
sure  I  had  often  gone  for  days  without  thinking  of  water, 
but  this  was  just  because  I  knew  I  might  have  as  much 
as  I  pleased  at  a  moment's  notice.  Kow  that  there  was 
none  to  be  had,  and  no  prospect  of  obtaining  any,  I  felt 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  thirst  was  a  real  agony. 

I  was  not  again  hungry.  The  provisions  which  I  had 
purchased  with  the  price  of  my  sloop  were  not  yet  ex- 
hausted. Some  pieces  of  the  cheese,  and  several  of  the 
biscuits,  still  remained,  but  I  did  not  venture  to  touch 
them.  They  would  only  have  increased  my  thirst. 
The  last  morsels  I  had  eaten  had  produced  this  eifect. 
My  parched  throat  called  only  for  water,  —  water  at  that 
moment  appeared  to  me  the  most  desirable  thing  in  the 
world. 


132  THE    BOY    TAR. 

I  was  in  a  situation  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  Tan- 
talus. Water  I  saw  not,  but  I  heard  it.  The  hoarse 
rushing  of  the  waves  as  they  tore  along  the  sides  of  the 
ship  was  plainly  audible.  I  knew  it  was  the  water  of 
the  sea,  —  salt,  and  of  no  service  to  me,  even  could  I 
have  reached  it,  —  but  still  it  was  the  sound  of  water 
playing  continually  on  my  ears  as  if  to  mock  and  tan- 
talize me. 

I  need  not  recount  the  many  painful  reflections  that 
passed  through  my  mind  during  the  period  that  followed. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  for  many  long  hours  I  endured  the 
terrible  pain  of  thirst,  without  any  hope  of  being  re- 
lieved from  its  torture.  I  felt  certain  it  was  going  to 
kill  me.  I  knew  not  how  soon,  but  I  was  sure  that 
sooner  or  later  it  would  cause  my  death.  I  had  read  of 
men  living  for  days  under  the  agony  of  thirst,  before  life 
became  extinct.  I  tried  to  remember  how  many  days 
they  had  lived,  but  my  memory  was  at  fault.  Six  or 
seven,  I  fancied,  was  the  longest  period.  The  prospect 
was  appalling.  How  could  I  endure  for  six  or  seven 
days  what  I  was  then  suffering  ?  How  could  I  bear  it 
for  even  one  day  longer  ?  Oh !  it  was  fearful  to  endure  ! 
I  hoped  that  death  would  sooner  come,  and  release  me 
from  such  torture ! 

But  a  far  brighter  hope  was  nigh  ;  and  almost  upon 
the  instant  that  I  had  given  mental  expression  to  that 
despairing  wish,  a  sound  fell  upon  my  ears  that  at  once 
changed  the  current  of  my  thoughts,  and  caused  me  to 
forget  the  horror  of  my  situation. 

Oh !  that  sweet  sound  !  It  was  like  the  whisper  of 
an  angel  of  mercy ! 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A    SWEET    SOUND. 

I  WAS  lying,  or  half  standing  erect,  with  my  shoulder 
against  one  of  the  great  ribs  of  the  ship  that  traversed 
my  little  chamber  from  top  to  bottom,  dividing  it  into 
two  nearly  equal  parts.  I  had  got  into  this  attitude 
merely  as  a  change  ;  for  during  the  long  days  and  nights 
since  I  entered  my  confined  quarters,  I  had  tried  every 
attitude  I  could  think  of,  in  order  to  obtain  freedom  from 
the  monotony  of  remaining  too  long  in  one  position.  I 
had  tried  sitting  ;  also  standing,  though  somewhat  bent ; 
more  generally  I  had  lain  down,  —  now  on  one  side,  now 
on  the  other,  —  sometimes  upon  my  back,  and  even 
sometimes  on  my  face. 

The  position  I  had  now  assumed  to  rest  me  for  a  mo- 
ment was  a  standing  one,  though  only  half  erect,  as  the 
height  of  my  chamber  was  not  equal  to  my  own  length. 
The  point  of  my  shoulder  found  a  resting-place  against 
the  rib  of  the  vessel,  and  my  head,  drooping  forward, 
was  nearly  in  contact  with  the  side  of  the  great  butt, 
upon  the  swell  of  which  my  hand  rested. 

Of  course,  my  ear  was  close  to  the  cask  —  almost 
touching  its  hard  oaken  staves  ;  and  it  was  through  these 
that  the  sound  reached  me  which  I  have  described  as 


134  THE    BOY    TAR. 

having  caused  a  sudden  and  pleasant  reaction  in  my 
feelings. 

The  sound  itself  was  simple  enough  to  understand. 
I  easily  understood  it.  It  was  the  "  cluk-cluk  "  of  water 
moving  about  inside  the  butt  —  its  motion  being  caused 
by  the  pitching  of  the  ship,  and  a  slight  rolling  of  the 
cask  itself,  which  had  not  been  steadily  "  cleated  "  in  its 
place. 

The  first  "  cluk  "  was  music  to  my  ears ;  but  I  did  not 
permit  myself  the  free  enjoyment  of  it  until  I  had  fully 
satisfied  myself  as  to  the  nature  of  what  I  had  heard. 

I  had  raised  my  head  with  a  start,  and  I  now  placed 
my  cheek  against  the  oak  staves,  and  stood  with  every 
nerve  in  my  ear  straining  to  catch  the  sounds.  I  waited 
a  good  while,  for  it  was  only  at  intervals  that  the  ship 
gave  her  heaviest  lurches,  and  only  then  did  the  fluid 
within  the  butt  become  disturbed.  I  waited  patiently, 
and  my  patience  was  rewarded.  There  again  !  —  "  cluk- 
cluk-cluk ! " 

"  Cluk-cleeh-clee-chuchle-cluhJ^  Beyond  a  doubt  there 
was  water  in  the  cask  ! 

I  could  not  restrain  myself  from  uttering  a  shout  of 
joy.  I  felt  like  one  who  had  been  for  a  long  while  in 
the  act  of  being  drowned,  and  who  at  length  had  reached 
land,  and  was  saved. 

The  sudden  transition  in  my  feelings  almost  caused 
me  to  faint;  as  it  was,  I  staggered  back  against  the 
timbers,  and  dropped  down  in  a  state  of  half-insen- 
sibility. 

Not  long  did  I  remain  so.  The  acute  torture  soon 
prompted  me  to  action ;  and  I  rose  again,  and  leaned 
forward  ao;ainst  the  cask. 


A    SWEET   SOUND.  135 

For  what  purpose  ?  To  find  the  bung,  of  course  ; 
draw  it  out,  and  relieve  my  thirst  by  a  draught  of 
water.  What  other  object  could  I  have  in  approach- 
ing it  ? 

Alas  !  alas  !  my  new-sprung  joy  fast  fleeted  away  — 
almost  as  suddenly  as  it  had  arisen  !  Not  quite  so  sud- 
denly ;  for  it  took  me  some  time  to  run  my  fingers 
all  over  the  swelling  outlines  of  that  great  vessel ;  to 
pass  them  around  its  ends  as  far  as  the  heavy  boxes 
would  permit ;  to  go  over  the  ground  again  and  again, 
inch  by  inch,  and  stave  by  stave,  with  all  the  careful 
touch  of  one  who  is  blind.  Yes,  it  took  me  minutes 
to  accomplish  this,  and  to  become  satisfied  that  the 
bung  was  not  upon  ray  side  of  the  cask  —  that  it  was 
either  upon  the  top  or  the  opposite  side  ;  but,  whether 
one  or  the  other,  it  was  beyond  my  reach,  and  it  was 
therefore  as  useless  to  me  as  if  no  such  aperture 
existed. 

In  my  search  for  the  bung,  I  had  not  forgotten  the 
vent  or  tap-hole.  I  knew  that  every  cask  is  provided 
with  both  these  apertures,  —  that  one  should  be  in  the 
side  and  the  other  in  the  head  or  end.  But  my  search 
for  the  vent  did  not  occupy  two  seconds  of  time.  I  at 
once  perceived  that  both  ends  of  the  barrel,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  inches  near  the  edge,  were  com- 
pletely blocked  up,  —  one  by  the  box,  and  the  opposite 
one  by  the  other  cask,  already  mentioned,  —  the  latter 
of  which  appeared  to  be  a  counterpart  of  that  in  front 
of  me. 

It  occurred  to  me  that  this  other  cask  might  also 
contain  water,  and  I  proceeded  to  make  a  "recon- 
noissance "  of  it ;  but   I  could  only  "  grope  "  a  small 


136  THE   BOY   TAR. 

portion  of  its  end,  and  there  I  felt  only  the  smooth 
hard  heading  of  oak,  that  resisted  my  touch  like  a 
wall  of  rock. 

It  was  only  after  all  this  had  been  accomplished,  that 
I  began  once  more  to  feel  the  misery  of  my  situation,  — 
once  more  to  resign  myself  to  despair.  I  was  now 
tantalized  even  worse  than  ever.  I  could  hear  at  in- 
tervals the  "jabbling"  of  the  water  within  two  inches 
of  my  lips,  and  was  unable  to  taste  it !  Oh  !  what  I 
would  have  given  for  one  drop  upon  my  tongue  !  one 
gill  to  moisten  my  throat,  parched  and  burning  like  a 
coal  of  fire  ! 

If  I  had  had  an  axe  with  room  to  wield  it,  how  I 
should  have  burst  open  that  huge  cistern,  and  drank 
fiercely  of  its  contents  !  But  I  had  no  axe  —  no  weapon 
of  any  kind ;  and  without  one  the  thick  oaken  staves 
were  as  impenetrable  to  me  as  if  they  had  been  solid 
iron.  Even  had  I  succeeded  in  reaching  the  bung  or 
vent,  how  could  I  have  got  out  the  stopper  or  vent-peg  ? 
With  my  fingers  it  would  plainly  have  been  impracti- 
cable ;  though  in  the  eagerness  of  my  first  hope  I  had 
never  thought  of  this  difficulty. 

I  believe  that  I  once  more  sat  or  staggered  down, 
and  after  a  little  while  rose  up  again,  and  made  a 
fresh  examination  of  the  butt ;  but  I  am  not  sure 
about  what  I  did,  for  this  new  disappointment  had 
quite  stupefied  me,  and  I  cannot  exactly  remember 
what  followed  for  a  good  while  after.  I  believe,  how- 
ever, that  I  performed  these  acts  in  a  sort  of  mechanical 
way ;  and  also  that  I  tried  once  more  to  move  the  box, 
and  pushed  against  it  with  all  my  strength ;  but,  as  be- 
fore, to  no  purpose. 


A   SWEET   SOUND.  137 

After  this  I  must  have  lain  clown,  and  resigned  my- 
self to  despair,  that  again  bound  me  in  its  hideous  em- 
brace. How  long,  I  cannot  tell ;  but  its  spell  was  at 
length  broken  bj  a  circumstance  that  once  more  put 
my  senses  on  the  alert. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


TAPPING    THE    BUTT. 


I  HAD  stretched  myself  lengthwise  in  my  cell,  and 
was  lying  upon  my  right  side,  with  my  head  resting 
upon  my  arm.  While  thus  placed,  I  felt  something 
pressing  against  my  thigh,  as  though  there  was  a  pro- 
tuberance on  the  plank,  or  some  piece  of  hard  material 
under  me.  It  began  to  give  me  pain,  and  I  reached 
down  my  hand  to*  remove  it,  at  the  same  time  raising 
my  body  so  that  I  might  get  at  it.  I  was  a  little  sur- 
prised on  not  finding  anything ;  but  the  next  moment  I 
perceived  that  the  hard  substance  that  annoyed  me 
was  not  upon  the  planks,  but  inside  the  pocket  of  my 
trousers  ! 

What  had  I  got  there  ?  I  remembered  nothing,  and 
might  have  supposed  it  was  some  fragments  of  biscuit ; 
but  these  I  had  deposited  in  the  pockets  of  my  jacket, 
and  they  could  not  have  got  down  to  my  trousers.  I 
felt  the  article  from  the  outside.  It  was  something 
very  hard,  and  of  a  longish  shape;  but  I  could  not 
think  what,  for  as  yet  I  could  remember  nothing  that 
I  had  carried,  with  the  exception  of  the  biscuits  and 
cheese. 

I  had  to  raise  myself  up  in  order  to  insert  my  hand 
into  the  pocket,  and  not  until  I  had  done  so  was  I  made 


TAPPING   THE   BUTT.  139 

acquainted  with  the  nature  of  its  contents.  The  hard 
oblong  thing  that  had  thus  attracted  my  attention  was 
the  knife  given  me  by  the  sailor,  Waters ;  and  which, 
having  thrust  mechanically  into  my  pocket  at  the  mo- 
ment of  receiving  it,  I  had  quite  forgotten. 

The  discovery  caused  me  no  particular  emotion  at 
the  moment.  Simply  a  thought  of  the  kindness  of  the 
sailor  as  contrasted  with  the  brutality  of  the  mate,  — 
just  the  same  thought  that  passed  through  my  mind  at 
the  time  the  gift  was  presented.  With  this  reflection 
I  drew  forth  the  knife,  and  flinging  it  down  beside  me, 
so  that  it  might  be  out  of  the  way,  I  lay  down  on  my 
side  as  before. 

But  I  had  scarcely  stretched  myself,  when  an  idea 
crossed  my  mind,  that  prompted  me  to  start  up  again, 
as  suddenly  as  if  I  had  lain  down  upon  redhot  iron. 
Unlike  the  latter,  however,  it  was  not  a  feeling  of  pain 
that  caused  this  quick  movement,  but  one  of  pleasure 
—  of  joyful  hope.  It  had  just  occurred  to  me  that  with 
the  knife  I  might  make  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  cask, 
and  thus  reach  the  water  ! 

So  practicable  did  the  design  appear,  that  I  had  not  a 
doubt  of  being  able  to  accompHsh  it ;  and  the  certainty 
I  now  felt  of  getting  at  the  precious  contents  of  the 
cask,  produced  a  complete  revulsion  in  my  feelings  — 
another  sudden  transition  from  despair  to  hope. 

I  groped  eagerly  about,  and  soon  recovered  the  knife. 
I  had  scarce  looked  at  it  on  receiving  it  from  the  hands 
of  the  friendly  sailor.  Now  I  examined  it  carefully,  — 
by  the  touch,  of  course,  —  I  felt  it  all  over ;  and  as  well 
as  I  was  able  by  such  a  test,  calculated  its  strength  and 
fitness  for  the  work  I  had  designed  for  it. 


140  THE   BOY   TAR. 

It  was  what  is  termed  a  "  jackknife,"  with  a  buck- 
horn  handle,  and  but  one  blade  —  a  sort  in  common 
use  among  sailors,  who  usually  carry  them  on  a  string 
passed  around  the  neck,  and  to  which  the  knife  is  at- 
tached by  a  hole  drilled  in  the  haft.  The  blade  was  a 
square  one,  drawn  to  an  angular  point,  and  shaped 
somewhat  like  the  blade  of  a  razor.  Like  the  latter, 
too,  the  back  was  thick  and  strong,  as  I  could  tell  by 
the  "feel."  I  was  gratified  at  perceiving  this,  for  I 
knew  that  it  would  require  a  strong  blade  to  hew  a 
hole  through  the  tough  staves  of  oak. 

The  instrument  I  held  in  my  hands  was  the  very 
thing  for  the  purpose,  almost  as  good  as  a  chisel.  Haft 
and  blade  were  nearly  of  equal  length,  and  when  open- 
ed out,  they  measured  about  ten  inches  together. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  describing  this  knife ; 
and  from  me  it  merits  all  that  has  been  said,  and  far 
more,  in  praise  of  its  good  qualities ;  since,  but  for  it,  I 
should  not  now  be  alive  to  give  an  account  of  its  won- 
derful performances. 

Well,  having  opened  the  knife,  and  drawn  my  fingers 
along  the  blade,  and  felt  it  over  and  over  again,  in  order 
to  get  acquainted  with  its  form  and  fitness  —  and  then, 
having  examined  the  back  spring,  and  tried  its  strength 
by  various  openings  and  shuttings :  having  done  all  this, 
I  went  to  work  upon  the  hard  oak. 

You  will  wonder  that  I  wanted  to  take  all  these  pre- 
cautions. You  will  fancy  that,  tortured  as  I  was  by 
thirst,  I  would  scarce  have  had  so  much  patience,  but 
would  have  set  about  making  the  hole  at  once,  in  order 
the  sooner  to  get  relief  by  a  draught  of  the  water. 
Certainly  my   patience    was   greatly   tempted;    but  I 


TAPPING   THE   BUTT.  141 

never  was  what  is  called  a  rash  boy,  and  in  that  dark 
hour  I  felt  more  than  ever  in  my  life  the  necessity  of 
prudence  and  caution.  I  knew  that  death  —  a  horrid 
death  from  thirst  —  awaited  me,  if  I  did  not  succeed  in 
getting  at  the  contents  of  the  cask  ;  and  should  any  ac- 
cident happen  to  the  knife,  should  the  blade  break,  or 
even  the  point  be  snapped  off,  this  death  w^ould  surely 
be  my  fate.  No  wonder  then,  I  took  the  precaution  to 
examine  well  my  weapon,  and  ascertain  its  strength.  I 
might  have  acted  with  more  recklessness  had  I  reflected 
more.  Even  had  I  been  certain  of  procuring  the  water, 
what  then  ?  It  could  only  save  me  from  dying  of  thirst. 
But  hunger  ?  How  was  that  to  be  relieved  ?  Water 
was  drink,  but  not  food.     Where  was  I  to  find  food  ? 

Strange  to  say,  I  did  not  think  of  food  at  that  mo- 
ment. I  was  not  yet  hungry,  and  the  agony  of  thirst 
had  hitherto  been  my  only  apprehension,  precluding  all 
thoughts  of  the  kindred  appetite.  The  prospect  of  the 
nearer  danger  —  that  of  perishing  from  the  want  of 
water  —  had  hindered  my  mind  from  dwelling  on  that 
which  was  more  remote  ;  and,  strange  to  say,  I  had  as 
yet  scarce  given  a  thought  to  what  shortly  after  became 
my  exclusive  apprehension  —  the  danger  of  dying  by 
hunger. 

It  is  certain,  therefore,  that  had  I  reflected  on  this,  I 
should  have  proceeded  with  less  prudence.  Fortunately, 
I  did  not  reflect ;  but  set  about  the  accomplishment  of 
my  purpose  with  due  method  and  caution. 

I  selected  a  spot  in  the  side  of  the  cask,  where  one  of 
the  staves  appeared  to  be  a  little  chafed  and  damaged. 
I  chose  it  better  than  half-way  from  the  top.  The  cask 
might  be  only  half  full,  though  that  was  not  likely.     It 


142  THE   BOY   TAR. 

SO,  it  would  be  necessary  for  me  to  make  my  tap  below 
the  surface  of  the  water,  otherwise  I  should  have  to 
make  it  over  again.  A  hole  would  have  been  of  no  use 
to  me,  unless  it  entered  below  the  water-line. 

Having  chosen  the  spot,  I  at  once  set  to  work,  and  in 
a  short  while  had  the  gratification  to  find  that  I  was  rap- 
idly hollowing  out  a  space  in  the  thick  stave.  The  knife 
behaved  admirably,  and  hard  as  w^as  the  oak,  it  had  to 
yield  to  the  harder  steel  of  that  beautiful  blade.  Bit  by 
bit,  and  chip  by  chip,  the  wood  was  detached  before 
its  keen  point ;  and  as  each  fresh  fibre  w^as  loosened,  I 
seized  it  with  my  fingers  and  pulled  it  off,  to  make  way 
for  the  blade. 

For  more  than  an  hour  I  kept  on,  of  course  working 
in  darkness.  I  had  by  this  time  grown  so  familiar  with 
darkness,  that  I  no  longer  experienced  the  feeling  of 
helplessness  one  always  has  when  suddenly  plunged  into 
it.  My  sense  of  touch  seemed  to  have  become  keener 
and  more  delicate  —  as  is  w^ell  known  to  be  the  case 
with  those  who  are  blind.  I  felt  no  difficulty  on  the 
score  of  light;  and  as  it  would  have  availed  but  little 
for  the  work  in  which  I  was  engaged,  I  never  even 
thought  of  its  absence. 

I  did  not  progress  as  fast  as  a  carpenter  would  have 
done  with  his  mortising  chisel,  or  a  cooper  with  his 
breast-bit  or  auger ;  but  I  had  the  gratification  of  know- 
ing that  I  was  progressing.  Though  slowly,  I  perceived 
that  the  hollow  was  getting  deeper  and  deeper ;  the  stave 
could  not  be  more  than  an  inch  in  thickness  ;  surely  I 
should  soon  be  through  it? 

I  could  have  done  the  business  in  less  time,  had  I 
been  more  reckless  of  consequences;  but  I  feared  to 


TAPPING   THJ]   BUTT.  143 

strain  too  heavily  upon  the  blade,  and,  remembering  the 
old  adage  — "  The  more  haste  the  less  speed,"  I  han- 
dled the  precious  tool  with  care. 

It  was  more  than  an  hour  before  I  approached  the 
inner  surface  of  the  plank.  I  knew  that  I  was  nearly- 
through  it  from  the  depth  to  which  I  had  cut. 

My  hand  now  trembled  as  I  worked.  My  heart  beat 
loudly  against  my  ribs.  It  was  a  moment  of  vivid  emo- 
tion. A  fearful  thought  was  in  my  mind,  —  a  dread 
doubt  was  troubling  me,  —  a  doubt  that  it  was  water  1 
This  doubt  had  occurred  to  me  at  an  earlier  period,  but 
at  no  time  did  I  feel  it  so  intensely  as  at  that  moment  — 
just  upon  the  eve  of  its  solution. 

Oh,  heaven  !  should  it  not  be  water  after  all,  —  should 
the  contents  of  the  cask  prove  to  be  rum  or  brandy,  or 
even  wine !  I  knew  that  none  of  these  would  avail  to 
quench  my  burning  thirst.  For  the  moment  they  might, 
but  only  for  the  moment ;  it  would  return  fiercer  and  more 
craving  than  ever.  Oh !  if  it  should  be  one  or  any  of 
them,  then  indeed  was  I  lost,  —  then  indeed  might  I 
yield  up  my  last  hope,  and  die  as  men  have  often  died, 
under  the  madness  of  intoxication  ! 

I  was  close  to  the  inner  surface  of  the  stave  ■ —  mois- 
ture was  already  oozing  through  the  wood,  where  it  had 
been  penetrated  by  the  point  of  the  blade.  I  hesitated 
to  make  the  last  cut  —  I  dreaded  the  result.  I  hesitated 
but  a  short  while.  The  torture  of  my  thirst  impelled 
tne  on ;  and  plunging  the  blade  deeply,  I  felt  the  last 
fibres  yielding  to  its  point.  Almost  at  the  same  instant 
a  cold  spray  rushed  out,  sprinkling  my  hand  upon  the 
haft,  and  rushing  far  up  my  sleeve. 

After  giving  the  blade  a  twist,  I  drew  it  out,  and  then 


144  THE   BOY   TAR. 

a  jet  shot  forth,  as  if  forced  from  a  syringe.  In  another 
instant  my  lips  covered  the  vent,  and  I  drank  delicious 
draughts,  —  not  of  spirits,  not  of  wine,  —  but  of  water, 
cold  and  sweet  as  though  it  issued  from  a  rock  of  lime- 
stone ! 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


THE    VENT-PEG. 


Oh  !  how  I  drank  of  that  deUcious  water  !  I  thought 
I  should  never  be  satisfied ;  but  at  length  satiety  was 
produced,  and  I  thirsted  no  more. 

The  effect  was  not  immediate, —  the  first  long  draught 
did  not  relieve  me,  or  only  for  a  time.  I  longed  again, 
and  again  placed  my  lips  to  the  spouting  stream  ;  and 
this  I  did  repeatedly,  until  the  longing  returned  not,  and 
the  pangs  of  thirst  were  forgotten  as  if  I  had  never  felt 
them  ! 

It  is  beyond  the  power  of  the  imagination  to  form  any 
idea  of  the  agony  of  thirst,  —  mere  fancy  cannot  realize 
it.  It  must  be  experienced  to  be  known,  but  a  proof 
of  its  intensity  might  be  given  by  adducing  the  horri- 
ble alternatives  to  which  men  have  resorted  when  re- 
duced to  the  extremity  of  this  torturing  pain.  And  yet, 
withal,  as  eoon  as  the  craving  is  appeased  —  so  soon  as 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  has  passed  the  lips,  the 
pain  exists  no  more,  but  ends  with  the  suddenness  of  a 
dream  !     No  other  bodily  ill  can  be  so  quickly  healed. 

My  thirst  was  now  gone,  and  I  felt  buoyant ;  but  my 
habitual  prudence  did  not  forsake  me.     During  the  in 
tervals  when  my  lips  were  removed  from  the  vent,  I 
7 


146  THE    BOY     TAR. 

had  kept  the  water  from  running  by  pressing  the  end 
of  my  forefinger  into  the  hole,  and  using  it  as  a  stop- 
per. Something  whispered  me  that  it  would  be  well 
not  to  waste  the  precious  fluid,  and  I  resolved  to  obey 
the  suggestion.  When  I  had  finished  drinking,  I  used 
my  finger  as  before ;  but  after  a  little,  I  grew  tired  of 
making  a  vent-peg  of  my  finger,  and  looked  about  for 
something  else.  I  groped  all  over  the  bottom  timbers, 
but  could  find  nothing  —  not  the  smallest  piece  of  stick 
within  reach  of  my  right  hand.  It  was  the  forefinger 
of  my  left  that  was  playing  vent-peg;  and  I  dared 
not  remove  it,  else  the  water  would  have  gushed  forth 
in  a  tolerably  thick,  and  therefore  a  wasteful  jet. 

I  bethought  me  of  a  piece  of  cheese,  and  I  drew 
what  remained  from  my  pocket.  It  was  of  too  excel- 
lent a  quality  for  the  purpose,  and  crumbled  as  I  ap- 
plied it  to  the  aperture.  It  was  forced  out  of  my  fingers 
by  the  strength  of  the  spouting  water.  A  biscuit  would 
have  been  equally  unserviceable.     What  was  I  to  do  ? 

In  answer  to  this  interrogatory,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
I  might  calk  the  hole  with  a  rag  from  my  jacket.  It 
was  fustian,  and  w^ould  answer  admirably. 

No  sooner  thought  of,  than  with  my  knife  I  cut  a 
piece  from  the  flap,  and  placing  it  over  the  hole,  and 
punching  it  well  in  with  the  blade,  I  succeeded  in  stop- 
ping the  run,  though  I  could  perceive  that  it  yet  leaked 
a  little.  This,  however,  would  not  signify.  I  only  in- 
tended the  piece  of  cloth  for  a  temporary  stopper,  until 
I  could  cast  around  and  contrive  something  better. 

I  was  once  more  free  to  reflect,  and  I  need  not  tell 
you  that  my  reflections  soon  guided  me  back  to  despair. 
To  what  purpose  had  I  been  saved  from  death  by  thirst  ? 


THE     VENT-PEG.  147 

It  would  only  be  a  protraction  of  ray  misery,  —  a  few 
hours  more  of  wretched  existence, —  for  certainly  I  must 
meet  death  by  hunger.  There  was  no  alternative.  My 
little  stock  was  almost  consumed.  Two  biscuits,  and  a 
handful  of  cheese-crumbs,  were  all  that  remained.  I 
might  make  another  meal  upon  them  —  a  very  sHght 
one  ;  and  then  —  ay,  then  —  hunger,  gnawing  hunger 
—  weakness  —  feebleness  —  exhaustion  —  death ! 

Strange  to  say  that  while  suffering  from  thirst  I  had 
not  thought  of  dying  by  hunger.  It  would  be  more 
exact  to  say  I  had  scarce  thought  of  it.  At  intervals, 
some  glimpses  of  such  a  fate  had  been  before  my 
mind's  eye ;  but,  as  I  have  already  stated,  the  stronger 
agony  eclipsed  the  weaker,  and  rendered  it  almost  un- 
cared  for. 

Now,  however,  that  all  fears  of  the  former  were 
removed,  the  dread  of  the  latter  usurped  its  place. 
The  little  interval  of  buoyant  feeling  which  I  experi- 
enced was  merely  the  consequence  of  my  unexpected 
relief  from  a  painful  suffering,  and  only  lasted  until 
calm  reflection  returned.  In  a  few  minutes  it  was  over, 
and  my  apprehension  of  death  became  as  acute  as  ever. 
It  is  wrong  to  call  it  an  apprehension,  for  it  was  a 
positive  certainty  that  stared  me  in  the  face.  I  had  not 
given  five  minutes'  thought  to  my  situation,  till  I  felt  as 
certain  of  death  as  I  was  that  I  still  lived.  There  was 
no  hope  of  escape  from  my  prison,  —  that  I.  had  given 
up  long  ago ;  and  since  I  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  not 
the  slightest  hope  of  obtaining  anything,  how  was  I  to 
live  ?  It  required  no  reasoning  to  find  an  answer  to 
the  question. 

Perish  I  must,  and  by  hunger ;  there  was  no  alterna- 


148  THE  BOY  TAR. 

tive,  unless  I  chose  to  die  by  my  own  hand.  I  was  now 
aware  that  I  possessed  the  means  to  effect  the  latter,  but 
strange  to  say,  the  madness  that  would  have  prompted 
me  to  it,  during  the  first  throes  of  my  despair,  was  gone ; 
and  I  could  now  contemplate  death  with  a  calmness 
that  surprised  me. 

Three  modes  of  dying  were  possible,  and  within  my 
reach,  —  thirst,  hunger,  and  suicide  ;  and  it  may  astonish 
you  to  know  that  the  next  thing  I  did  was  to  take  into 
consideration  which  of  the  three  it  would  be  easiest 
to  endure. 

This  in  reality  was  the  leading  idea  in  my  mind  as 
soon  as  I  became  convinced  that  I  must  die.  You  need 
not  be  astonished.  Only  imagine  yourselves  in  my  sit- 
uation, and  you  will  perceive  that  such  thoughts  were 
but  natural. 

The  first  of  these  three  I  rejected  at  once,  —  it  could 
not  be  the  easiest.  I  had  almost  tried  it,  and  my  experi- 
ence satisfied  me  that  existence  could  scarce  be  ended  in 
a  less  gentle  way.  Only  upon  the  last  two,  therefore, 
did  my  mind  dwell ;  and  for  some  time  I  sat  coolly 
weighing  the  one  against  the  other.  Unfortunately,  my 
young  days  had  been  passed  in  a  manner  almost  hea- 
thenish ;  and  at  that  time  I  did  not  even  know  that  tak- 
ing one's  own  life  was  a  crime.  This  consideration, 
therefore,  had  no  weight  in  the  balance ;  and  all  I  had 
to  guide  me  was  the  conjecture  as  to  which  of  the  two 
modes  of  death  would  be  least  painful ! 

And  I  sat  for  a  long  while  —  coolly  and  calmly  I  sat 
—  engaged  in  this  singular  contemplation.      -  ^ 

Good  and  evil  must  be  instinctive.  Something  within 
told  me  it  would  be  wrong  to  take  away  the  life  which 


THE   VENT-PEG.  149 

God  had  given  —  even  tliougli  tlie  act  might  save  me 
from  protracted  pain. 

This  thought  triumphed  ;  and,  mustering  all  my  cour- 
age, I  resolved  to  await  the  event  —  whatever  time  it 
might  please  God  to  put  a  termination  to  my  misery. 


4 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


THE    BISCUIT-BOX. 


Having  resolved,  then,  not  to  die  by  my  own  hand,  I 
at  the  same  time  came  to  the  resolution  to  live  as  long 
as  I  could.  Though  my  two  biscuits  would  not  have 
served  me  for  another  good  meal,  I  determined  to  make 
at  least  four  out  of  them,  and  also  to  make  the  intervals 
between  each  two  as  long  as  possible,  — just  as  long  as 
I  could  endure  without  eating. 

The  desire  of  prolonging  my  existence  had  been  grad- 
ually growing  upon  me,  ever  since  I  had  been  relieved 
from  the  torture  of  thirst ;  and  it  had  now  become  as 
strong  as  at  any  period  of  my  life.  The  truth  is,  I  had 
a  presentiment  that  I  should  still  survive,  —  that  I  was 
not  going  to  perish  of  hunger ;  and  this  presentiment  — - 
though  ever  so  slight,  and  entertained  only  at  intervals 
—  helped  to  sustain  me  with  a  sort  of  faint  hope. 

I  can  hardly  tell  why  I  should  have  entertained  it  at 
all,  so  really  hopeless  appeared  my  situation.  But  then 
I  remembered  that  but  a  few  hours  before  the  prospect 
of  obtaining  water  was  equally  hopeless,  and  now  I 
possessed  enough  to  drown  myself  in.  Fanciful  as  it 
may  seem,  this  idea  had  occurred  to  me,  —  that  is,  to 
drown  myself!  But  the  moment  before,  while  con- 
templating the  easiest  means  of  death,  that  of  drowning 


THE   BISCUIT-BOX.  151 

had  actually  come  before  my  mind.  I  had  often  heard 
that  it  was  about  the  least  painful  mode  of  terminating 
one's  existence.  Indeed  I  might  say  that  I  had  myself 
made  trial  of  it. 

When  saved  by  Harry  Blew  I  was  drowned  to  all 
intents  and  purposes  —  so  far  as  suffering  was  con- 
cerned —  and  I  am  sure  that  had  I  been  then  permitted 
to  go  to  the  bottom,  I  should  never  have  felt  another 
pang.  I  was  satisfied,  therefore,  that  drowning  was  not 
so  very  hard  a  death  ;  and  I  actually  had  it  in  considera- 
tion whether  I  should  not  cut  my  way  into  the  great  butt, 
and  in  this  way  end  my  misery  !  This  was  during  my 
moments  of  despair,  when  I  seriously  contemplated  self- 
destruction  ;  but  these  moments  had  passed,  and  I  again 
felt  an  unaccountable  desire  that  my  life  should  be  pro- 
longed. 

Perhaps  this  change  in  my  sentiments  is  not  so  inex- 
plicable. The  strange  circumstance  of  my  finding  the 
water  —  with  the  consequent  escape  from  death  by  thirst 
—  had  something  in  it  of  a  nature  almost  miraculous,  — 
something  that  suggested  the  hand  of  Providence 
stretched  forth  in  ray  favor.  That  hand  could  equally 
aid  me  in  other  ways,  —  could  equally  save  me  from 
starvation  by  hunger ;  and  though  I  knew  not  how,  it 
might  yet  deliver  me  from  my  fearful  prison. 

Perhaps  some  ideas  of  this  kind  were  passing  in  my 
mind,  and  it  was  from  these  I  drew  that  indefinable  pre- 
sentiment that  I  should  yet  escape. 

I  ate  my  half  biscuit,  and  again  drank  of  the  water, 
for  my  thirst  kept  returning  upon  me,  —  though  it  no 
longer  gave  me  uneasiness.  I  calked  up  the  vent  as 
before,  and  then  sat  down  in  silence. 


152  THE   BOY   TAR. 

I  had  no  idea  of  making  any  exertion.  I  had  no 
hope  that  anything  I  could  do  would  in  the  least  degree 
alter  my  situation.  What  could  I  do  ?  My  hope  —  if 
hope  I  may  call  it  —  rested  only  upon  fate,  upon  chance, 
or  rather,  I  should  say,  upon  God.  But  how  the  hand 
of  Providence  could  be  interposed  on  my  behalf,  I  had 
not  the  slightest  idea. 

Those  dark,  silent  hours  were  hard  to  endure.  It 
was  only  at  intervals  that  I  was  cheered  by  the  presenti- 
ment I  have  described  ;  but  in  the  far  longer  intervals 
between,  I  felt  gloomy  and  despairing. 

Nearly  twelve  hours  must  have  passed  before  I  ate 
my  second  half  biscuit.  I  waited  as  long  as  I  could,  but 
at  length  I  was  obliged  to  yield  to  the  calls  of  hunger. 
The  little  morsel  produced  no  satisfaction.  It  rather 
appeared  to  render  my  appetite  more  keen  and  craving. 
I  drank  copiously ;  but  although  the  water  filled  my 
stomach,  it  had  no  effect  in  stifling  the  sensations  of 
hunger. 

In  about  six  hours  after,  I  made  another  meal,  — 
another  half  biscuit  gone.  I  could  not  endure  longer  ; 
and  when  the  tiny  crumb  was  swallowed,  I  knew  not 
that  I  had  eaten.     I  was  as  hungry  as  ever ! 

Scarce  three  hours  was  the  next  interval.  My  brave 
resolution  to  make  the  two  biscuits  last  for  as  many  days 
was  to  no  purpose.  Not  one  day  had  passed,  and  the> 
last  morsel  had  disappeared. 

What  next  ?  What  should  I  eat  next  ?  I  was  as 
hungry  as  ever. 

I  thought  of  my  shoes.  I  had  read  of  men  sustaining 
themselves  for  a  time  by  chewing  up  their  boots,  their 
belts,  their  gaiters,  their  pouches  and  saddles ;  in  short, 


THE   BISCUIT-BOX.  153 

anything  that  was  made  of  leather.  Leather  is  an 
animal  substance,  and,  even  when  tanned  and  manu- 
factured, still  possesses  nutriment,  though  only  in  a  slight 
degree.  With  these  memories,  then,  I  thought  of  my 
shoes. 

I  was  stooping  down  to  unlace  them,  when  I  was 
startled  by  something  cold  that  struck  me  upon  the  back 
of  the  head.  It  was  a  stream  of  water.  The  rag  of 
fustian  had  been  pressed  out,  and  the  water  was  escap- 
ing. The  jet  had  fallen  on  the  back  of  my  head,  just 
upon  the  bare  part  of  the  neck,  and  its  coldness,  to- 
gether with  the  suddenness  of  the  thing,  caused  me 
to  start  up  in  some  surprise. 

Of  course,  my  astonishment  ceased,  as  soon  as  I  per- 
ceived what  it  was  that  had  startled  me. 

I  placed  my  finger  in  the  aperture,  and  groping  about 
for  the  rag,  soon  found  it,  and  recalked  the  cask. 

This  had  now  happened  more  than  once,  and  much 
water  had  been  wasted.  The  rag  had  become  loosened 
by  the  action  of  the  water,  and  was  pressed  out.  It  oc- 
curred to  me  that  it  might  occur  again  while  I  was 
asleep,  and  most  of  the  water  in  the  butt  might  run  off, 
and  thus  get  lost  altogether.  Some  precaution,  there- 
fore, must  be  taken,  —  I  must  find  a  better  stopper. 

With  this  idea  I  went  to  work  to  contrive  one.  I 
searched  all  around  the  "  floor  "  of  my  cabin  in  hojjes 
of  picking  up  some  stray  chip,  but  no  such  thing  was 
there. 

I  bethought  me  of  cutting  a  splint  from  one  of  the 
great  ribs  of  the  ship  ;  and  I  made  the  attempt  with  my 
knife,  but  the  wood  was  hard  oak  and  painted,  and  de- 
fied all  my  efforts  to  split  off  a  piece  large  enough  for 


154  THE   BOY   TAR. 

my  purpose.  In  the  end,  no  doubt,  I  should  have  suc- 
ceeded ;  but  just  then  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  could 
more  easily  get  a  supply  from  the  box.  This  being  a 
rough  packing  case,  was  no  doubt  made  of  common 
deal ;  and  from  the  touch  I  was  convinced  that  it  was 
so.  Of  course,  being  much  softer  than  the  oak,  and 
more  easily  split  with  a  knife,  I  should  have  a  better 
chance  of  procuring  what  I  wanted ;  and,  moreover,  a 
piece  of  deal  would  do  better  for  a  stopper. 

Shifting  myself  round,  therefore,  so  as  to  face  towards 
the  box,  I  began  to  feel  all  over  it  for  the  best  place  to 
use  my  knife  upon. 

At  one  of  the  corners  I  perceived  the  point  of  advan- 
tage, where  one  of  the  boards  slightly  projected  above 
the  level  of  the  top.  Into  this  board  I  sunk  my  blade, 
pressing  it  downward,  and  causing  it  to  act  both  as  a 
wedge  and  a  chisel.  I  had  given  but  one  push  upon  it, 
when  I  perceived  that  the  board  was  loose.  The  nails 
which  had  fastened  it  had  either  been  broken  off  or 
drawn  out,  probably  by  the  rough  mauling  it  had  got 
while  being  stowed.  Whether  or  not,  I  felt  that  it  was 
quite  loose,  and  moved  under  my  touch. 

I  at  once  drew  out  the  blade.  I  saw  that  I  could 
pull  off  the  board  with  my  hands,  and  it  would  then  be 
easier  to  split  off  the  piece  that  I  wanted.  I  laid  the 
knife  down,  and  applying  my  fingers  to  the  projecting 
end  of  the  board,  I  seized  it  firmly,  and  pulled  with  all 
my  might. 

It  yielded  to  my  strength.  There  was  some  creak- 
ing and  crackling,  as  the  nails  were  drawn  out  or  bro- 
ken ;  and  then  a  sound  reached  my  ears  that  caused  me 
to  desist  and  listen.     It  was  the  sound  of  some  hard  ob- 


THE    BISCUIT-BOX.  155 

jects  escaping  from  out  the  box,  and  falling  with  a  rat- 
tle upon  the  timbers  beneath. 

I  was  curious  to  know  what  these  objects  were,  and 
letting  go  my  hold,  I  stretched  my  hands  downward, 
and  groped  for  what  had  been  spilled.  I  lifted  two  of 
similar  shape  and  size,  and  as  I  ran  my  fingers  over 
them,  I  could  not  restrain  myself  from  giving  utterance 
to  a  shout  of  joy. 

I  have  said  that  my  touch  had  grown  almost  as  deli- 
cate as  that  of  a  blind  man ;  but  had  it  been  ever  so 
obtuse,  I  could  have  told  at  that  moment,  what  were  the 
two  flat  round  objects  which  I  held  between  my  fingers. 
There  was  no  mistaking  the  "feel"  of  them.  They 
were  biscuits  ! 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


A    CASK    OF   BRANDT. 


Yes,  biscuits  —  each  of  them  as  large  as  a  small 
plate  and  nearly  half  an  inch  in  thickness,  smooth  and 
round,  and  pleasant  to  the  touch,  and  of  a  rich  brown 
color  —  I  could  tell  the  color,  for  I  knew  from  the  feel 
that  they  were  real  sea  biscuits ;  or,  as  they  are  gener- 
ally styled,  "  sailor's  biscuits,"  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  white  "  captain's  biscuits,"  to  which,  in  my  opinion, 
they  are  superior,  —  far  sweeter  and  more  wholesome. 

How  sweet  they  tasted  at  that  moment !  for  on  the 
very  instant  that  I  got  hold  of  them,  did  I  raise  one  to 
my  mouth,  and  bite  a  large  piece  out  of  its  smooth  cir- 
cumference. Delicious  morsel !  a  whole  one  was  soon 
ground  into  crumbs  and  swallowed,  and  then  a  second, 
and  a  third,  and  a  fourth,  and  a  fifth,  and  perhaps  still 
another !  for  I  never  thought  of  keeping  count,  so  long 
as  hunger  urged  me  to  eat.  Of  course,  I  washed  them 
down  with  copious  libations  from  the  butt. 

I  remember  no  meal  eaten  during  air  my  life  that  I 
enjoyed  with  so  much  relish,  as  this  one  of  biscuits  and 
water,  it  was  not  simply  from  the  delight  experienced 
by  satisfying  the  cravings  of  a  hungry  stomach,  —  which 
of  itself,  as  every  one  knows,  is  a  high  source  of  enjoy- 


A    CASK    OF   BRANDY.  157 

ment,  —  but  along  with  it,  was  the  pleasure  derived 
from  m J  discovery,  —  the  delightful  consciousness,  still 
fresh  before  my  mind,  that  my  life,  which  but  the  mo- 
ment before  I  held  as  lost,  was  still  to  be  spared  me. 
Beyond  a  question,  the  hand  of  Providence  had  inter- 
posed to  save  my  life. 

I  had  no  doubt  that  this  was  so.  With  such  store 
both  of  food  and  drink,  I  could  live  —  despite  the  dark- 
ness of  my  dungeon  —  for  weeks,  for  months  —  until 
the  voyage  should  come  to  an  end,  and  the  ship  be 
emptied  of  its  cargo. 

I  felt  sure  of  safety,  as  I  made  an  inspection  of  my 
provision  chest.  They  came  pouring  forth,  those  pre- 
cious cakes,  spilling  out  at  the  touch,  and  cracking  to- 
gether like  castanets. 

Their  rattle  was  music  to  my  ears.  I  thrust  my 
hands  into  the  box,  delighting  to  bury  my  fingers  amid 
the  rich  profusion  of  its  contents  ;  as  the  miser  joys  to 
revel  among  his  heaps  of  gold.  I  thought  I  should 
never  tire  groping  among  them,  feeling  how  thick  and 
large  they  were,  and  drawing  them  out  from  the  box, 
and  putting  them  back  into  it,  and  tumbling  them  about 
in  every  way.  I  acted  just  like  a  child  with  its  drum 
and  its  ball,  its  top  and  its  orange,  rolling  them  from 
side  to  side  ;  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  I  grew  tired 
of  this  childlike  play. 

Long  —  I  am  sure  I  must  have  gone  on  in  this  way 
for  nearly  an  hour,  before  the  excitement  into  which 
the  discovery  had  put  me  cooled  down,  and  I  could  act 
and  think  calmly. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  sensation  one  feels,  when 
suddenly  rescued  from  the  jaws  of  death.     Escape  from 


158  THE   BOY   TAR. 

an  impending  danger  is  different,  as  one  is  not  certain 
that  the  danger  would  end  in  death ;  for  there  are  few 
kinds  of  peril  that  produce  the  conviction  that  death 
must  be  the  event.  When  this  conviction  once  enter* 
the  mind,  and  after  that  the  self-expecting  victim  sur- 
vives, the  sudden  reaction  from  despair  to  joy  is  a  feel- 
ing of  such  intense  happiness,  as  almost  to  cause  bewil- 
derment. Men  ere  now  have  died  of  such  joy,  while 
others  have  gone  mad. 

I  neither  died  nor  went  mad ;  but  could  my  behavior 
have  been  observed  for  some  time  after  breaking  open 
the  biscuit-box,  it  might  have  been  supposed  that  I  was 
mad. 

The  first  thing  that  restored  me  to  calmer  reflection, 
was  the  discovery  that  the  water  was  running  from  the 
cask,  in  a  full  jet.  The  aperture  was  quite  open.  I 
was  chagrined  at  making  this  observation,  —  I  may  say, 
terrified.  I  knew  not  how  long  the  waste  had  been 
going  on ;  the  sough  of  the  sea  outside  prevented  me 
from  hearing  it,  and  the  water,  as  soon  as  it  fell,  filtered 
off  under  the  timbers  of  the  vessel.  Perhaps  it  had 
been  running  ever  since  I  last  drank ;  for  I  had  no 
recollection  of  having  put  back  the  rag  stopper.  My 
excitement  had  hindered  me  from  thinking  of  it.  If 
that  were  really  the  case,  then  there  had  been  much 
waste,  and  the  thought  filled  me  with  dismay. 

But  an  hour  ago,  I  should  have  not  so  much  regarded 
this  loss  of  water.  Then  I  knew  there  would  still  be 
drink  enough  to  outlast  the  food,  —  to  last  as  long  as  1 
expected  to  live.  Now,  however,  my  altered  prospects 
caused  me  to  regard  the  circumstance  with  very  differ- 
ent ideas.     I  might  be  months  alive,  and  still  cooped  up 


A    CASK   OF   BRANDY.  159 

behind  the  cask.  Every  drop  of  its  contents  -might  be 
required.  If  it  was  to  run  short  before  the  ship  reached 
her  port,  then  I  should  be  brought  back  to  my  original 
position,  and  death  by  thirst  would  be  my  fate  after  all. 
No  wonder  I  perceived  with  dismay  that  the  stopper 
was  out  and  the  stream  was  flowing ! 

I  lost  not  a  moment  in  pressing  my  fingers  into  the 
hole,  and  cutting  off  the  run.  Then  once  more  corking 
with  the  rag,  I  proceeded  to  carry  out  my  original  de 
sign,  of  making  a  proper  vent-peg  of  wood. 

A  piece  was  easily  obtained  from  the  board  I  had 
detached  from  the  lid  of  the  box,  —  for  it  was  the  lid 
that  was  towards  me ;  and  the  soft  deal,  yielding  to  the 
keen  blade  of  my  knife,  was  soon  shaped  into  a  conical 
peg,  that  fitted  exactly. 

Brave  sailor !  how  I  blessed  thee  for  thy  gift ! 

I  blamed  myself  much  for  this  piece  of  negligence ; 
and  I  felt  regret,  too,  that  I  had  tapped  the  cask  so  low 
down.  However,  the  latter  had  been  itself  a  measure 
of  precaution ;  and  at  the  time  it  was  done,  I  had  but 
one  thought,  and  that  was  to  allay  my  thirst  as  quickly 
as  possible. 

It  was  fortunate  I  noticed  the  jet  as  soon  as  I  did. 
Had  it  been  allowed  to  continue  running  until  it  stopped 
of  itself,  —  in  other  words,  had  the  surface  of  the  water 
sunk  to  the  level  of  the  tap-hole,  —  then  would  there 
have  been  but  little  left,  scarce  enough  to  have  lasted 
me  for  a  week. 

I  endeavored  to  ascertain  what  had  been  the  amount 
of  wastage,  but  I  could  arrive  at  no  satisfactory  conclu- 
sion. I  sounded  the  cask  by  striking  it  in  different 
places  with  the  but-end  of  ray  knife,  but  I  derived  little 


160  THE   BOY   TAR 

knowledge  from  this.  The  creaking  of  the  ship's  tim- 
bers, and  the  rush  of  the  waves,  prevented  any  obser- 
vation of  this  kind  from  being  definite  or  accurate.  I 
fancied  that  the  blows  gave  back  a  very  hollow  sound, 
as  if  a  large  space  within  was  empty.  If  it  were  a 
fancy,  it  was  far  from  being  a  pleasant  one ;  and  I  gave 
over  my  "  soundings "  with  a  considerable  feeling  of 
uneasiness.  Fortunately  the  tap  was  a  very  small  hole, 
and  the  jet  from  it  of  no  great  thickness.  As  near  as 
I  could  tell  by  the  touch,  and  from  the  repeated  appli- 
cation I  had  made  to  it  with  my  lips,  this  could  not  have 
been  over  the  thickness  of  my  little  finger,  which  at  that 
time  was  not  of  much  greater  circumference  than  a 
goose's  quill.  I  knew  that  such  a  tiny  stream  would 
be  a  long  while  in  spending  the  contents  of  so  large  a 
tank ;  and  I  endeavored  to  recall  to  mind  how  long  it 
might  have  been  since  I  last  drank.  In  this,  however, 
I  was  not  successful.  It  seemed  but  a  short  while  to 
me,  but  excited  as  I  had  been,  and  confused  in  my 
ideas,  it  might  have  been  an  hour,  or  even  more.  I 
was  completely  baflled  in  any  calculation  that  I  at- 
tempted. 

I  remained  for  a  considerable  time,  pondering  upon 
some  scheme  by  which  I  might  determine  the  quantity 
of  water  that  still  remained  in  the  cask,  for  about  this 
I  was  now  most  anxious.  Only  one  hour  before,  food 
had  been  the  source  of  my  uneasiness  ;  before  that  it 
had  been  drink  ;  and  now  once  more  drink  was  my 
trouble,  for  of  meat  I  had  a  plenty. 

I  remembered  having  heard  that  brewers,  coopers, 
and  others  whose  business  lies  among  the  great  wine 
vaults  of  the  docks,  had  a  way  of  telling  pretty  nearly 


A   CASK    OF   BEANDT.  161 

the  contents  of  a  barrel  of  liquid,  without  submitting 
them  to  actual  measurement,  but  I  had  not  heard  how 
they  managed  the  matter.  I  regretted  not  having  been 
told. 

I  thought  of  a  plan  by  which  I  could  have  ascer- 
tained, to  a  nicety  ;  but  I  lacked  the  proper  instrument 
to  put  it  in  execution.  I  understood  enough  of  hy- 
draulics to  know  that  water  will  rise  to  its  own  level, 
if  guided  by  a  pipe  or  tube  ;  I  knew,  therefore,  that 
if  I  had  only  possessed  a  piece  of  hose,  I  could  have 
attached  it  to  the  tap-hole,  and  thus  discovered  how 
high  the  water  stood  in  the  cask. 

But  where  was  the  hose  or  other  pipe  to  be  had  ? 
Of  course  I  could  not  get  at  what  I  desired  in  this 
way,  and  I  relinquished  the  idea  without  giving  it  fur- 
ther consideration. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  better  plan  suggested  itself, 
and  I  proceeded  to  put  it  in  execution.  It  was  so  sim- 
ple, I  wondered  I  had  not  thought  of  it  before.  It  was 
neither  more  nor  less  than  to  cut  another  hole  through 
the  staves,  higher  up,  and,  if  need  be,  another,  and  so 
on,  until  I  reached  a  point  where  the  water  ceased  to 
run.     This  would  o;ive  me  the  knowledge  I  wanted. 

Should  I  make  my  first  hole  too  low,  I  could  easily 
stop  it  with  a  peg,  and  so  with  all  the  others. 

It  is  true  that  I  was  laying  out  for  myself  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  work,  but  I  rather  liked  this  than 
otherwise.  While  employed,  I  should  feel  much  hap- 
pier —  as  my  occupation  would  enable  me  the  better  to 
pass  the  time,  and  keep  me  from  thinking  too  much  of 
my  miserable  situation. 

But  just  as  I  was  about  to  commence  my  experiments 


162  THE   BOY   TAR. 

on  the  butt,  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  had  better  trj  the 
other  one,  —  that  which  stood  at  the  end  of  my  little 
chamber.  Should  this  also  prove  to  be  a  water-cask, 
then  I  need  be  no  longer  uneasy,  for  surely  two  such 
great  vessels  should  contain  enough  to  supply  me  during 
the  longest  voyage  that  ever  was  made. 

Without  more  ado,  then,  I  turned  upon  the  second 
cask,  and  commenced  drilling  a  hole  in  the  end  of  it. 
I  was  not  so  excited  as  before,  for  I  did  not  feel  that 
so  much  depended  upon  the  result.  For  all  that,  it 
caused  me  a  good  deal  of  disappointment,  when,  on  get- 
ting the  point  of  my  bkde  through  to  the  inside,  I  dis- 
covered that  the  stream  that  came  jetting  out  was  not 
water  but  pure  brandy,  which  proved  that  it  was  a  bran- 
dy-cask I  had  tapped. 

I  again  turned  my  attention  to  the  water-butt ;  for  I 
was  now  more  anxious  than  ever  to  ascertain  how  much 
it  contained,  since  on  this  depended  my  future  safety. 

Choosing  a  stave  near  the  middle  of  the  cask,  I  pro- 
ceeded in  the  same  manner  as  I  had  done  when  making 
my  first  incision ;  and,  working  constantly  for  an  hour 
or  more,  I  felt  the  thin  shell  springing  before  the  point 
of  my  knife.  My  apprehensions  were  acute,  though 
not  so  much  so  as  on  the  former  occasion.  Then  it  was 
a  matter  of  life  or  death,  almost  upon  the  instant ;  now 
the  contingency  was  more  remote,  and  not  quite  so 
definite  or  certain.  Withal  I  could  not  help  a  strong 
feeling  of  anxiety,  nor  could  I  avoid  uttering  an  excla- 
mation of  delight,  when  I  felt  the  cold  spring  of  water 
gushing  along  the  blade  of  my  knife.  I  soon  closed  the 
slight  aperture,  and  recommenced  my  drilling  process 
upon  the  next  stave  higher  up. 


A   CASK    OF   BRANDY.  163 

This  I  also  penetrated  in  due  time,  and  was  again 
rewarded  for  my  patient  labor  by  getting  my  fingers 
wet  from  the  inside. 

Another  step  higher,  with  a  like  result. 

Another,  and  the  water  came  not.  No  matter.  I  was 
now  far  up  near  the  top  of  the  cask.  I  had  found  wa- 
ter at  the  last  boring  but  one.  It  must  stand  still  higher 
within.  The  cask,  therefore,  was  more  than  three  parts 
full.  Thank  Heaven  !  There  would  be  enough  to  last 
me  for  many  months ! 

I  felt  satisfied  with  the  result,  and,  sitting  down,  I  ate 
another  biscuit  with  as  much  relish  and  contentment  as 
if  I  had  been  dining  upon  turtle  and  venison  at  the  ta- 
ble of  a  Lord  Mayor. 


CHAPTER  XXVIIl. 

GOING    ON   "rations." 

I  WAS  full  of  complacence,  there  was  nothing  now  to 
cause  me  uneasiness.  The  prospect  of  being  cooped 
up  for  six  months  might  have  been  very  unpleasant  un- 
der other  circumstances,  but  after  the  far  more  terrible 
dread  of  horrid  death  from  which  I  had  just  been  deliv- 
ered, it  appeared  as  nothing ;  and  I  resolved  to  bear  my 
long  imprisonment  with  patience  and  resignation. 

Six  months  I  would  have  to  endure  this  gloomy  con- 
finement, —  six  months,  at  the  least.  There  was  but 
little  probability  of  my  being  released  before  the  expi- 
ration of  a  half-year ;  a  long  term,  —  long  and  hard  to 
be  borne  either  by  captive  or  criminal,  —  hard  even  in 
a  lighted  chamber,  with  bed  and  fire,  and  well-cooked 
food,  in  daily  converse  with  human  beings,  and  the 
sound  of  human  voices  almost  continually  ringing  in 
your  ears.  Even  with  these  advantages,  to  be  shut  up 
for  six  months  is  a  painful  experience. 

How  much  more  painful  would  mine  be,  cramped 
up  in  close  quarters,  where  I  could  neither  stand  erect 
nor  lie  at  full  length  ;  neither  couch,  nor  fire,  nor  light 
to  give  me  comfort ;  breathing  foul  air,  reclining  upon 
the  hardest  of  oak,  living  upon  bread  and  water,  —  the 


GOING    ON   "  RATIONS."  165 

simplest  diet  upon  which  a  human  being  could  exist,  and 
that  unvaried  by  the  slightest  change,  with  no  sound 
ever  reaching  ray  ear  save  the  almost  ceaseless  creak- 
ing of  the  ship's  timbers,  and  the  monotonous  surging 
of  the  ocean  wave,  —  certainly  six  months  of  such  an 
existence  was  not  a  pleasant  prospect  to  contemplate. 

Withal  I  regarded  it  not.  I  was  still  too  happy  at  my 
deliverance  from  death,  to  be  nice  about  the  kind  of  life 
that  was  before  me,  though,  as  time  passed,  most  proba- 
bly I  should  grow  tired  enough  of  such  a  dreary  existence. 

Now  I  was  all  joy,  and  confidence.  Not  so  confident, 
however,  as  to  rely  upon  conjecture,  —  upon  a  mere 
guess  as  to  the  amount  of  my  means  of  existence. 
Upon  this  point  I  was  determined  to  be  fully  assured, 
and  that  without  further  loss  of  time.  My  stores,  both 
of  food  and  drink,  I  resolved  to  submit  to  actual  meas- 
urement, —  in  order  to  be  satisfied  as  to  whether  they 
would  be  sufficient  to  last  me  till  the  end  of  the  voyage. 

Hitherto  I  had  felt  no  apprehension  upon  this  head. 
Such  a  large  box  of  biscuit,  and  such  an  inexhaustible 
well  of  water,  could  never  be  expended.  This  was  my 
first  idea ;  but,  after  a  little  reflection,  I  began  to  have 
doubts.  The  constant  drop  will  wear  a  hole  in  the 
hardest  stone,  and  will  also  empty  the  largest  cistern, 
if  time  be  allowed  it ;  and  six  months  was  a  long  time, 
—  nearly  two  hundred  days,  —  a  very  long  time. 

As  I  reflected  thus,  I  grew  a  little  uneasy  as  to  the 
quantity  both  of  my  food  and  drink ;  and  to  put  an  end 
to  all  doubt  upon  the  subject,  I  came  to  the  above  de- 
termination of  measuring  them.  I  recognized  the  pru- 
dence of  such  a  course.  If  it  turned  out  that  there 
were  plenty  of  both,  and  to  spare,  I  should  no  longer 


166  THE    BOY    TAR. 

be  troubled  with  doubts  ;  and  if,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  was  a  danger  of  either  running  short,  I  should 
then  adopt  the  only  precaution  possible,  and  at  once  put 
myself  on  short  rations! 

When  I  look  back,  and  think  of  my  cunning  at  this 
early  age,  I  am  now  astonished  at  it ;  but  it  is  surpris- 
ing what  forethought  even  a  child  will  exhibit,  when 
placed  in  circumstances  where  self-preservation  calls 
forth  all  its  instincts  and  energies. 

Without  more  ado,  then,  I  proceeded  to  make  my  cal- 
culation. I  allowed  for  time,  the  full  six  months ;  or  in 
other  terms,  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-three 
days  I  did  not  even  subtract  the  time,  —  about  a  week, 
since  we  had  set  sail.  That  I  set  aside  to  my  advantage, 
allowing  the  full  period  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-three 
days,  lest  I  might  err  by  making  the  time  too  short. 
Surely,  in  six  months  the  vessel  would  reach  her  port, 
and  her  cargo  be  discharged  ?  Surely,  I  might  depend 
upon  this  ? 

No,  —  not  surely.  I  was  far  from  being  confident  on 
this  head.  I  knew  that  a  voyage  to  Peru  was  usually 
reckoned  a  six  months'  voyage ;  but  I  was  not  certain 
whether  this  was  considered  the  average  time ;  whether 
it  would  be  accounted  a  long  voyage  or  a  short  one ; 
and,  therefore,  I  had  no  confidence  in  basing  my  calcu- 
lation on  such  uncertain  data. 

There  was  the  danger  of  delay,  from  calms  in  the 
tropical  latitudes,  through  which  we  should  have  to  pass, 
—  from  storms  off  Cape  Horn,  renowned  among  mari- 
ners for  the  fickleness  of  its  wind;  —  other  obstacles 
might  be  encountered,  and  the  voyage  protracted  far 
beyond  the  period  above  mentioned. 


GOING    ON   "  RATIONS."  167 

I  was  not  without  such  apprehensions,  as  I  proceeded 
to  examine  my  resources.  To  ascertain  how  long 
my  stock  of  food  would  last,  was  simple  and  easy. 
I  had  only  to  count  the  biscuits,  and  find  out  their  num- 
ber. I  knew  their  size,  and  that  I  could  live  on  two  a 
day,  though  I  was  not  likely  to  grow  fat  on  the  allow- 
ance. Even  one  a  day,  or  still  less  than  that,  would 
sustain  life ;  and  I  resolved  to  be  as  sparing  of  them  as 
I  could. 

I  soon  ascertained  the  exact  number.  The  box,  as 
nearly  as  I  could  guess,  was  about  a  yard  long  and  two 
feet  wide,  by  about  one  foot  in  depth  ;  for  I  noticed  that 
it  was  a  shallow  one  set  upon  its  edge.  Had  I  known 
its  exact  dimensions,  I  could  have  told  the  number  of 
biscuits  without  counting  them.  Each  was  a  little  less 
than  six  inches  in  diameter,  and  of  an  average  thick- 
ness of  three  fourths  of  an  inch.  Therefore,  packed  as . 
they  had  been,  there  would  be  exactly  thirty-two  dozen 
in  the  case. 

But  counting  them  over  one  by  one  was  no  labor,  on 
the  contrary,  it  afforded  pleasure  to  me ;  and  drawing 
them  forth  out  of  the  box  I  told  them  off  in  dozens.  I 
found  that  thirty-two  dozen  was  the  number,  wanting 
eight ;  but  the  odd  eight  1  was  able  to  account  for  satis- 
factorily.    I  knew  where  they  had  gone. 

Thirty-two  dozen  would  make  three  hundred  and 
eighty-four  biscuits  ;  and,  now  that  I  Lad  eaten  eight  of 
them,  there  remained  exactly  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
six  ;  which,  at  tlie  rate  of  two  per  die.n,  would  last  for 
one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  days.  True,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  days  would  be  a  little  over  six  months, 
but  as  I  had  not  a  clear  confidence  about  the  length  of 


168  THE   BOY   TAR. 

the  voyage  being  only  six  months,  I  perceived  that  I  must 
go  on  short  rations,  of  less  than  two  biscuits  a  day. 

What,  thought  I,  if  there  should  be  another  box  of 
biscuits  behind  the  one  I  had  emptied  ?  That  would 
secure  me  against  all  chances,  and  make  my  mind  easy 
at  once  and  forever.  What  if  there  should  be  another  ? 
Was  it  unlikely  ?  No  :  the  reverse.  In  the  stowage 
of  a  ship's  hold,  there  is  not  much  order  observed  as  re- 
gards the  sort  of  goods  that  are  placed  in  juxtaposi- 
tion, but  rather  is  regard  paid  to  the  size  and  shape  of 
the  packages ;  and  things  of  a  miscellaneous  kind  are 
often  stowed  together,  according  to  convenience,  as  the 
particular  piece  —  whether  box,  bale,  or  barrel  —  may 
fit  into  a  particular  space.  Notwithstanding  that  I  knew 
all  this,  still  it  Avas  probable  enough  that  two  boxes  of 
biscuits  had  been  placed  side  by  side. 

How  was  I  to  ascertain  ?  I  could  not  get  round  the 
box,  even  now  that  I  had  emptied  it ;  for,  as  already 
stated,  it  blocked  up  the  whole  aperture  through  which 
I  had  originally  squeezed  myself.  Neither  could  I  get 
over  the  top  nor  under  it. 

"  Ha  !  "  I  exclaimed,  as  a  thought  suddenly  suggested 
itself,  "  I  shall  go  through  it." 

The  idea  was  feasible  enough.  The  board  which  I 
had  already  pulled  off,  left  an  aperture  wide  enough  to 
admit  my  body.  This  had  been  part  of  the  top  or  lid. 
I  could,  therefore,  get  my  head  and  shoulders  inside,  and 
with  my  knife  cut  a  large  hole  in  the  bottom  opposite. 
That  would  enable  me  to  ascertain  whether  another  bis- 
cuit-box was  beyond. 

I  was  not  slow  in  putting  my  new  design  into  execu- 
tion.    I  first  widened  a  little  more  the  aperture  in  the 


169 

top,  so  that  I  could  work  more  conveniently  ;  and  then 
I  attacked  the  bottom  with  my  knife.  The  soft  deal 
yielded  pretty  freely,  but  I  had  not  made  much  prog- 
ress in  this  way,  when  a  better  plan  came  into  my 
head.  I  perceived  that  the  bottom  boards  of  the  case 
were  only  nailed  on,  —  perhaps  a  little  more  securely 
than  those  of  the  top,  but  still  not  fast  enough  to  resist 
the  blows  of  a  mallet  or  hammer.  I  had  neither  one 
nor  the  other,  but  I  thought  of  a  tolerable  substitute,  — 
my  heels.  Laying  myself,  therefore,  in  a  horizontal  po- 
sition, and  placing  my  hands  against  the  great  rib  to  act 
as  a  support,  I  thrust  both  my  feet  inside  the  box.  In 
this  position  I  was  able  to  administer  such  a  series  of 
lusty  kicks  upon  the  bottom  boards,  that  one  of  them 
soon  sprung  its  nails,  and  was  pressed  outward,  until  I 
felt  it  could  be  driven  no  farther  on  account  of  some 
weighty  impediment  beyond. 

I  now  got  back  to  my  old  position,  and  examined  the 
progress  I  had  made.  I  saw  that  I  had  dislodged  a 
wide  board,  so  far  as  the  nails  were  concerned  ;  but  it 
still  stood  upright,  and  prevented  me  feeling  what  was 
behind  it. 

Using  all  my  strength,  I  succeeded  in  pressing  it  to 
one  side  and  then  downward,  until  an  aperture  was 
obtained,  through  which  I  could  thrust  my  hands.  Sure 
enough  a  box  was  on  the  other  side  —  a  rough  packing- 
case,  resembling  that  I  had  just  broken  through,  —  but 
whether  of  like  contents  had  yet  to  be  determined.  It 
would  not  take  long  to  tell  what  it  contained.  I  once 
more  exerted  my  strength,  and  succeeded  in  pressing 
the  loose  board  quite  into  a  horizontal  position,  so  that 
it  no  longer  obstructed  me.      The  other  box  was  scarce 


170  THE    BOY   TAR. 

two  inches  beyond  ;  and,  falling  to  upon  it  with  my  blade, 
I  soon  penetrated  through  its  side. 

Alas  !  my  hopes  of  finding  more  biscuit  were  doomed 
to  disappointment.  Some  woollen  substance  —  either 
coarse  cloth  or  blankets  closely  packed  —  filled  the  in- 
side, feeling  as  solid  to  the  touch  as  a  piece  of  timber. 
There  were  no  biscuits  there,  and  I  was  now  convinced 
I  should  have  to  take  to  the  short  rations  and  make  the 
best  of  what  I  already  possessed. 


I 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

GAUGING    THE    WATER-CASK. 

My  next  operation  was  to  put  all  the  biscuits  back  into 
the  box,  —  for  strewed  loosely  about,  as  they  were,  they 
interfered  seriously  with  the  accommodation  of  my  cabin, 
which,  by  their  bulk,  was  diminished  more  than  one  half. 
In  fact,  I  had  scarce  room  to  turn  myself  in,  so  long  as 
they  remained  outside  the  case,  and  I  therefore  lost  no 
time  in  restoring  them  to  their  former  place  of  deposit. 
To  make  the  box  hold  them  all,  I  was  obliged  to  pack 
them  in  regular  rows,  as  they  had  been  before ;  with 
this  difference,  that  the  case  having  been  tilted  on  its 
side,  the  biscuits  had  been  lying  with  their  edges  in  a 
horizontal  position,  whereas  I  now  built  them  vertically, 
—  the  proper  mode  of  packing  such  goods,  and  the  way 
in  which  they  had  been  placed,  when  they  came  from 
the  stores  of  the  baker.  Of  course,  it  mattered  not 
which  way,  as  regards  the  space  they  would  take  up. 
On  the  flat  side,  or  on  their  edges,  it  was  all  the  same ; 
and  when  I  counted  in  the  thirty-one  dozen  and  four 
odd,  the  box  was  full,  with  only  a  little  empty  space 
in  the  corner,  which  the  eight  missing  biscuits  had  for- 
merly occupied. 

So,  then,  I  had  taken  stock  of  my  larder,  and  now 


172  THE  BOY  TAR. 

knew  the  exact  amount  of  provision  I  had  to  depend 
upon.  With  two  biscuits  per  diem,  I  could  stand  siege 
for  a  little  better  than  six  months.  It  would  not  be 
high  living,  yet  I  resolved  to  do  with  even  less,  —  for 
I  could  not  feel  certain  that  six  months  would  be  the 
full  period  of  my  privations.  I  formed  the  resolution 
to  make  two  a  day  the  rule,  and  never  to  exceed  that 
number ;  and  on  such  days  as  I  felt  best  able  to  bear 
hunger,  I  should  stint  my  measure  a  quarter  or  half  a 
biscuit,  or  even  a  whole  one,  if  I  found  it  possible. 
This  economic  purpose,  if  successfully  carried  out, 
would  throw  forward  the  day  of  absolute  want  to  a 
much  longer  period  than  six  months. 

My  food  being  thus  rationed  out,  it  appeared  equally 
necessary  that  I  should  know  the  quantity  of  water  I 
might  use  each  day.  To  ascertain  this,  at  first  appeared 
to  be  beyond  my  power.  Apparently,  I  had  no  means 
of  measuring  what  remained  in  the  butt.  It  was  an  old 
wine  or  spirit-cask, —  for  such  are  the  vessels  generally 
used  on  board  ships  to  carry  water  for  their  crews, — 
but  what  kind  of  wine-cask  I  could  not  tell,  and  there- 
fore I  could  not  even  guess  at  the  quantity  it  might 
have  contained  when  full.  Could  I  only  have  estab- 
lished this  point,  I  should  then  have  been  able  to 
make  a  rough  calculation  as  to  what  had  been  already 
spent;  rough,  but  perhaps  sufficiently  precise  for  my 
purpose. 

I  remembered  well  the  table  of  liquid  measure,  —  I 
had  good  reason  to  remember  it,  —  the  most  difficult  of 
all  the  tables  to  commit  to  memory.  I  had  received 
many  a  smart  rodding,  before  I  was  able  to  repeat  it 
over ;  but  I  at  length  succeeded  in  getting  it  pit-pat. 


GAUGING  THE   WATER-CASK.  173 

I  knew  that  wine-casks  are  of  very  different  dimen- 
sions, according  to  the  sort  of  wine  they  contain :  that 
under  the  different  names  of  "  pipes,"  "  butts,"  "  hogs- 
heads," "  puncheons,"  "  tuns,"  and  "  tierces,"  they  hold 
more  or  less,  from  the  hogshead  of  hock  of  thirty  gal- 
lons to  the  great  tun  of  wine,  containing  two  hundred 
and  fifty-two.  That  the  spirits  —  brandy,  whiskey,  rum, 
gin,  and  the  wines  —  sherry.  Port,  Madeira,  TeneriflPe, 
Malaga,  and  many  other  sorts,  are  transported  in  casks 
of  different  capacity,  but  usually  containing  about  one 
hundred  gallons.  I  even  remembered  the  number  of 
gallons  of  each,  so  well  had  my  teacher  —  a  great  statis- 
tician —  drilled  me  in  "  liquid  measure  ;  "  and  could  I 
only  have  known  what  sort  of  wine  had  once  been  car- 
ried inside  of  my  water-butt,  I  could  have  told  its  meas- 
ure in  a  moment.  I  fancied  there  was  the  "  bouquet " 
of  sherry  about  it,  and  that  would  have  made  it  a 
"  pipe  "  of  one  hundred  and  eight  gallons  ;  but  it  might 
have  been  a  Madeira  pipe,  which  holds  only  ninety-two 
or  Cape,  or  Marsala,  which  are  about  the  same  size. 
It  might  have  been  Port,  which  would  have  stretched 
its  capacity  to  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  or  a  puncheon 
of  Scotch  whiskey,  some  of  which  contain  one  hundred 
and  twenty  gallons.  I  did  not  think  it  had  been  this 
last,  else  I  should  have  known  the  peculiar  "  twang  " 
which  Scotch  whiskey  gives  to  water,  however  dilut- 
ed it  may  be.  Certainly,  there  was  a  perceptible  flavor 
of  some  liquor,  but  I  was  too  young  to  be  experienced 
in  drinks,  and  I  learned  nothing  from  this.  No  doubt  a 
wine-taster  could  have  told  in  an  instant  what  sort  had 
formerly  filled  the  barrel,  for  an  old  wine-cask  will 
retain  the  particular   "bouquet"  of  the  wine   it   had 


174  THE   BOY   TAR. 

carried  after  performing  several  voyages  as  a  water- 
butt. 

I  drew  out  the  stopper  and  tasted  the  water.  I  had 
not  thought  of  noticing  its  flavor  before.  It  appeared 
to  me  to  be  sherry  ;  but,  as  I  have  said,  it  might  be 
Madeira,  which  would  make  a  difference  of  sixteen  gal- 
lons, —  an  important  item  in  a  calculation  such  as  I  was 
desirous  of  making.  I  therefore  could  not  trust  to  my 
judgment  to  make  this  the  basis  of  a  computation,  and 
I  had  to  think  of  some  other  device. 

Fortunately,  in  my  school  arithmetic  there  were  a 
few  hints  upon  mensuration,  and  the  good  master  had 
instructed  us  in  these. 

I  have  often  wondered  that  the  simple,  but  useful, 
problems  of  this  branch  of  science  are  so  much  neglect- 
ed, while  the  most  useless  and  irrational  rhymes  are 
hammered  into  the  heads  of  poor  unfortunate  boys.  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  giving  my  opinion,  that  a  knowl- 
edge of  simple  mensuration,  which  may  be  obtained  in 
a  week's  study,  is  of  more  value  to  an  individual  —  or 
to  the  whole  human  race,  if  you  will  —  than  a  perfect 
scholarship  in  all  the  dead  languages  of  the  world. 
Greek  and  Latin !  These  have  been  very  barriers  to 
the  advancement  of  knowledge ! 

Well,  I  was  saying  that  my  old  teacher  had  taught 
me  a  few  simple  problems  in  mensuration ;  and  for- 
tunately I  still  held  them  in  my  memory.  I  could 
tell  the  solid  contents  of  a  cube,  of  a  parallelopipedon, 
of  a  pyramid,  of  a  globe  (nearly),  of  a  cylinder,  and 
of  a  cGlie.  The  last  was  the  figure  that  now  interested 
me. 

I  knew  that  a  barrel  was  a  pair  of  cones,  —  that  is, 


GAUGING   THE    WATER-CASK.  175 

truncated  cones,  or  frustums,  —  with  the  bases  resting 
against  each  other.  Of  course,  when  I  was  taught  how 
to  measure  a  cone,  I  was  also  instructed  to  do  the  same 
with  the  frustum  of  one. 

To  ascertain  the  capacity  of  my  butt,  therefore,  it  was 
only  necessary  for  me  to  know  its  length, — or  its  half- 
length  would  do  as  well,  —  its  circumference  at  either 
end,  and  also  its  circumference  around  the  thickest 
part,  or  "  swell."  These  three  measurements  given  me, 
I  could  tell  to  a  quart  how  much  water  would  fill  it,  —  in 
other  words,  I  could  calculate  how  many  cubic  inches 
of  water  it  should  contain.  Knowing  this,  I  should  sim- 
ply have  to  divide  by  sixty-nine  and  a  small  fraction 
over,  and  this  would  give  me  the  number  of  quarts, 
which  another  simple  division  of  four  would  reduce  to 
gallons,  if  I  required  to  use  this  standard. 

I  perceived,  therefore,  that,  if  I  could  get  the  three 
measurements,  I  could  soon  tell  the  capacity  of  ray  butt ; 
but  therein  lay  the  difficulty.  How  were  these  meas- 
urements to  be  obtained  ? 

I  might  have  obtained  the  length,  for  that  was  before 
me  from  end  to  end  ;  but  how  should  I  get  the  circum- 
ference, either  of  the  middle  or  of  either  end?  I  could 
not  reach  over  the  top,  nor  around  the  ends.  Both 
directions  were  blocked  up  against  me. 

Another  difficulty  stared  me  in  the  face.  I  had  noth- 
ing wherewith  to  measure  them,  —  neither  rule  nor  tape, 
—  no  standard  by  which  I  could  determine  the  number 
of  feet  or  inches ;  so  that,  even  had  all  sides  been  free 
to  me,  I  should  still  have  been  in  a  dilemma. 

I  was  determined,  however,  not  to  yield  the  point 
until  I  had  given  it  a  good  thinking.     The  occupation 


176  THE    BOY    TAR. 

would  help  me  to  pass  the  time ;  and,  as  I  have  already- 
hinted,  this  was  a  matter  of  primary  importance.  Be- 
sides, that  faitiiful  old  schoolmaster  had  many  a  time 
impressed  upon  us  the  valuable  truth,  that  perseverance 
often  finds  success  where  success  appears  impossible. 
Remembering  this  bit  of  admonition,  I  resolved  not  to 
regard  the  thing  as  impracticable,  until  I  had  exhausted 
all  my  powers  of  contrivance. 

I  persevered,  therefore,  and  in  less  time  than  I  must 
take  in  describing  it,  I  hit  upon  a  plan  for  "  gauging '' 
the  butt. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

MY   MEASURING   RULE. 

The  details  of  my  plan  suggested  themselves  in  the 
following  order :  — 

While  examining  the  cask,  to  find  if  there  was  not 
some  means  of  ascertaining  its  different  diameters,  I  dis- 
covered the  very  way  itself.  All  I  wanted  was  a  straight 
rod  or  stick,  of  sufficient  length  to  reach  quite  across  the 
butt  at  its  thickest  part.  It  was  plain  to  me,  that  by  in- 
serting such  a  stick  into  a  hole  in  one  side  of  the  cask, 
and  passing  it  on  till  it  touched  the  staves  on  the  other 
side,  at  a  point  diametrically  opposite,  I  could  thus  obtain 
the  exact  measurement  of  the  diameter  of  that  part  of 
the  vessel,  —  since  the  portion  of  the  rod  reaching  from 
side  to  side  would  be  the  diameter  itself.  The  diameter 
once  obtained,  it  needed  only  to  multiply  by  three  to 
get  the  circumference.  But,  in  the  calculation  which  I 
was  desirous  of  making,  it  was  the  diameter  itself  I 
wanted  to  find,  and  not  the  circumference.  I  only 
thought  of  the  latter,  because,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, when  a  cask  is  bunged  up,  it  is  easier  to  meas- 
ure the  circumference  of  the  swell  than  its  diameter. 
In  no  case  does  it  signify  which,  —  as  the  figure  three 
will  always  reduce  the  one  to  the  other ;  near  enough 


178  THE   BOY   TAR. 

for  most  practical  purposes,  though  not  mathematically 
exact. 

Now,  it  so  chanced  that  one  of  the  holes  I  had  cut 
through  the  staves  had  been  made  in  the  very  middle 
of  the  swell,  where  the  butt  was  thickest.  Therefore,  a 
straight  stick  passed  into  this  hole,  and  pushed  on  till  it 
touched  the  opposite  side,  would  give  the  greatest  diam- 
eter of  the  cask. 

You  may  imagine  that  this  might  have  been  obtained 
by  simply  planting  the  stick  in  a  vertical  position  outside 
the  butt,  and  notching  it  at  a  point  on  a  level  with  the 
top  of  the  vessel.  True,  this  might  have  been  done,  had 
I  been  operating  with  a  barrel  lying  upon  a  plain  sur- 
face, with  nothing  around  it  to  obstruct  me,  and  plenty 
of  light  to  observe  the  true  level.  Even  thus  it  would 
have  been  rough  guesswork,  and  not  to  be  depended 
on  when  a  calculation  was  to  be  made  involving  life  or 
death  in  its  consequences,  —  for  such  it  really  did  in- 
volve,—  at  least,  I  supposed  so.  But  the  butt  was  so 
placed,  resting  upon  the  timbers  of  the  ship,  with  its 
swollen  side  sunk  between  them,  that  I  could  not  have 
measured  it  in  this  manner.  Even  though  I  might  have 
marked  a  rod  on  a  line  with  its  top,  I  could  not  have 
planted  the  other  end  so  as  to  be  on  a  level  with  its 
base. 

There  seemed  no  other  way  to  get  at  the  thing  than 
by  inserting  a  straight  stick  into  the  hole,  and  thus 
measure  the  diameter ;  nor  did  I  trouble  myself  about 
any  other,  as  this  appeared  to  be  the  best  plan  I  could 
adopt. 

Where  was  I  to  find  my  stick,  —  my  measuring  rule  ? 
That  is  your  question,  is  it  not  ? 


MY   MEASURING   RULE.  f  ^^ 

It  is  easily  answered.  The  deal  board  tha  had 
formed  part  of  the  biscuit-box  would  supply  nv  with 
the  material,  and  out  of  that  I  could  soon  make  one. 
No  sooner  thought  of,  than  I  set  about  it. 

The  board  was  but  a  little  over  two  feet  in  length, 
and  of  course  not  long  enough  to  reach  across  the  great 
cask,  which,  at  its  thickest  part,  appeared  four  or  five. 
But  a  very  little  ingenuity  sufficed  to  overcome  this 
obstacle.  I  should  only  have  to  split  off  three  thin 
pieces,  and  by  splicing  their  ends  together,  I  should  get 
a  stick  of  length  sufficient. 

I  did  so.  Fortunately,  the  deal  was  cut  nicely-  with 
the  grain  of  the  wood ;  and  in  splitting  it,  I  guid  d  the 
blade  of  my  knife  so  as  not  to  let  it  run  out  at  the  sdges. 

I  succeeded  in  getting  three  pieces  of  the  thicLaess  I 
wanted;  and,  after  shaving  off  their  angles,  and  tuaking 
them  clean  and  trim,  I  cut  their  ends  with  a  slant  for 
the  splice. 

The  next  thing  was  to  obtain  two  pieces  of  string, 
and  this  was  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world.  I  wore 
upon  my  feet  a  pair  of  little  "  buskins  "  that  laced  up 
to  the  very  ankle.  The  laces  were  thongs  of  calfskin, 
each  of  them  a  full  yard  long.  They  were  just  the 
thing ;  and,  drawing  them  out  of  the  holes,  I  completed 
the  sphcing,  and  now  held  in  my  hands  a  straight  stick 
full  five  feet  in  length,  —  quite  long  enough,  I  con- 
ceived, to  reach  across  the  thickest  part  of  the  butt, 
and  slender  enough  to  go  into  the  hole,  —  which  I  had 
already  widened  a  little  to  receive  it. 

"  So  far  good,"  thought  I ;  "  I  shall  now  insert  the 
measuring  stick  and  find  my  diameter." 

I  rose  to  my  feet  to  carry  out  this  design,  but  I  need 


180  THE   BOY   TAR. 

not  describe  the  mortification  I  felt  on  perceiving  that  the 
first  of  these  operations,  —  which  would  appear  to  be  the 
simplest  of  all,  —  could  not  be  performed.  At  the  first 
trial  I  saw  that  it  was  quite  impossible.  It  was  not 
because  the  hole  was  too  small,  or  the  stick  too  large. 
I  had  made  no  mistake  about  this ;  but  my  miscalcula- 
tion was  in  regard  to  the  space  in  which  I  had  to  work. 
Lengthways,  my  little  chamber  was  nearly  six  feet ;  but 
crossways,  little  more  than  two  ;  and  up  where  the  hole 
was  —  in  which  I  intended  to  insert  the  measuring  rod 
—  it  was  still  less.  Of  course  to  get  the  stiff  piece  of 
stick  into  the  cask  was  plainly  impossible  —  without 
bending  it,  so  that  it  must  break,  —  for  the  dry  deal 
would  have  snapped  through  like  the  shank  of  a  clay 
pipe. 

I  was  a  good  deal  chagrined  at  not  having  thought 
of  this  before  ;  but  I  was  still  more  vexed  at  the  idea 
of  being  obliged  to  abandon  the  design  of  making  the 
measurement  I  had  intended;  for,  before  reflecting,  I 
believed  that  this  was  to  be  the  result.  A  little  further 
consideration,  however,  helped  to  a  new  plan,  proving 
the  importance  of  not  arriving  too  hastily  at  conclusions. 
I  discovered  a  way  of  getting  in  the  stick  to  its  full 
length,  without  either  breaking  or  bending  it. 

This  could  be  effected  by  taking  it  to  pieces  again, 
then  first  inserting  one  of  the  pieces,  and  holding  it  till 
the  second  could  be  spliced  on  to  its  end,  and  then  push- 
ing both  into  the  cask,  and  joining  the  third  piece  in  a 
similar  fashion. 

About  this  there  appeared  no  difficulty,  and  the  re- 
sult proved  there  was  none,  —  for  in  less  than  five  min- 
utes after  conceiving  it,  I  had  carried  the  design  into 


MY   MEASURING  RULE.  181 

execution,  and  the  measuring  rod  stood  inside  the  bar- 
rel, with  one  end  projecting  some  inches  on  the  outside. 

Holding  this  end  carefully  in  my  hand,  I  caused  the 
other  to  play  about  on  the  opposite  side,  until  I  felt  con- 
vinced that  it  touched  the  point  that  was  exactly  vis-d- 
vis  with  the  aperture ;  and  then,  steadying  the  stick,  I 
notched  it  with  my  knife,  on  a  level  with  the  outer  sur- 
face of  the  stave.  To  calculate  from  this  notch  would 
not  be  correct,  as  it  would  be  more  than  the  diameter 
of  the  cask,  —  that  is,  in  reference  to  what  it  would 
contain,  —  but  I  had  no  intention  of  doing  so.  I  should 
make  allowance  for  the  thickness  of  the  stave,  and  that 
would  give  me  the  measurement  I  wanted. 

Having  made  my  mark,  I  drew  forth  my  measuring 
rod,  piece  by  piece,  as  it  had  been  plunged  in.  I  took 
care  as  I  did  so  to  notch  both  the  splices,  —  so  that  I 
might  be  able  to  put  them  together  again  in  the  exact 
place  where  they  had  been  while  making  the  measure- 
ment. All  this  attention  to  such  minute  particulars  was 
of  importance,  and  I  knew  it  to  be  so,  —  for  the  mistake 
of  even  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  the  length  of  my  diam- 
eter, would  cause  a  difference  of  many  gallons  in  the 
result.  Most  certainly,  then,  was  it  of  consequence  that 
I  should  be  precise  in  my  data. 

I  now  had  the  diameter  of  the  swell ;  the  next  thing 
was  to  get  that  of  the  head,  or  end.  About  this  there 
was  less  difficulty,  —  in  fact,  not  any.  It  was  obtained 
in  a  few  seconds. 

Though  I  could  not  myself  get  round  either  of  the 
ends  of  the  butt,  nor  even  my  arm,  I  could  pass  the  rod 
around  them,  and  in  this  way  measure  them.  Even 
had  there  not  been  space  to  admit  the  measuring  stick, 


182  THE   BOY   TAR. 

I  should  have  found  a  means,  —  by  simply  drilling 
another  hole  with  my  knife,  close  to  either  end,  and 
guaging  as  before.  But  this  would  have  occupied  time, 
and  it  was  not  necessary  to  do  so,  since  the  stick  passed 
along  the  head  of  the  butt,  without  any  obstruction,  till 
its  end  rested  against  the  projecting  rim  on  the  opposite 
side.  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  assure  myself  that  its 
point  was  fair  in  the  middle,  and  then  make  my  mark 
as  before. 

The  length  of  the  butt  w^as  yet  to  be  ascertained; 
and  this,  though  apparently  a  simple  operation,  cost  me 
a  good  deal  of  consideration,  before  I  could  get  at  it 
with  any  degree  of  exactness.  You  may  fancy  that  it 
would  have  been  easy  enough  to  get  at  the  length,  by 
just  placing  the  stick  parallel  to  the  cask,  and  notching 
it  square  with  the  ends  of  the  latter.  And  so  it  might 
be  easy  enough,  with  plenty  of  light  around  you  to  see 
when  it  ivas  square,  and  a  level  surface  upon  which  to 
rest  your  measure.  But  as  I  had  the  advantage  neither 
of  light  nor  level  ground,  I  encountered  great  difficulty 
in  this  operation.  I  could  not  tell  when  the  ends  lay 
even  with  each  other,  merely  by  the  touch.  I  had  to 
pass  my  fingers  from  one  to  the  other,  and  could  not 
grasp  both  at  one  time,  —  that  is,  the  rim  of  the  cask 
and  the  end  of  the  rod,  —  since  they  must  needs  be 
several  inches  apart.  The  stick,  too,  lay  unsteady,  and 
by  the  feel  I  could  not  be  sure  when  its  end  was  exactly 
"  flush  "  with  the  head  of  the  cask.  The  mistake  of  an 
inch  —  it  might  be  several  —  would  falsify  all  my  com- 
putations, and  render  them  of  no  use.  It  would  not  do 
to  proceed  upon  such  a  conjectural  basis,  and  for  a 
while  I  was  puzzled,  and  had  to  pause. 


MY   MEASURING  RULE.  183 

This  was  an  unexpected  obstacle,  for  I  had,  from  the 
first,  regarded  the  diameters  as  the  only  difficulty ;  about 
the  possibility  of  obtaining  the  length,  I  had  never  en- 
tertained a  doubt. 

But  my  wits  again  came  to  the  rescue,  and  I  soon 
discovered  a  plan  that  would  effect  the  end  in  view. 
I  had  to  make  another  rod, — by  splicing  two  more 
lengths  split  from  the  board,  —  and  with  this  I  was  able 
to  determine  the  point. 

I  managed  the  matter  thus :  The  old  rod  I  pushed 
along  the  head  of  the  cask,  quite  beyond  its  outer  edge, 
BO  that  it  rested  at  both  ends  against  the  projecting  rim. 
Thus  placed,  it  was  exactly  parallel  with  the  plane  of 
the  barrel's  head,  while  a  foot  or  more  projected  out- 
ward and  towards  me.  Holding  the  end  of  the  second 
rod  against  this  projecting  part,  and  at  right  angles,  I 
gave  it  a  direction  along  the  side  of  the  cask,  and  I  was 
able  to  mark  the  point  where  the  middle  part  of  the 
swell  came  in  contact  with  the  second  rod.  This,  of 
course,  —  after  deducting  the  depth  of  the  rim  and  the 
presumed  thickness  of  the  head,  —  gave  me  half  the 
length  of  the  interior  of  the  cask,  and  that  was  all  I 
wanted,  since  two  halves  make  one  whole. 

I  was  now  in  possession  of  the  data  of  my  problem  ; 
it  only  remained  for  me  to  seek  the  solution. 


CHAPTER  XXXL 

"quod  erat  faciendum." 

To  find  the  cubic  contents  of  the  butt,  in  feet  or 
inches,  and  afterwards  reduce  them  to  liquid  measure,  — 
to  gallons  or  quarts,  —  would  have  been  easy  enough, 
and  only  required  a  simple  computation  in  figures.  I 
knew  that  I  was  arithmetician  enough  to  make  this  com- 
putation, even  though  I  possessed  neither  pen  nor  paper, 
slate  nor  pencil ;  and  if  I  had,  there  was  no  light  by 
which  I  could  have  used  them.  "  Ciphering,"  therefore, 
in  the  ordinary  way,  was  out  of  the  question ;  but  I  had 
often  practised  myself  in  casting  up  accounts  by  a  men- 
tal process,  and  I  could  add  and  subtract,  multiply  or 
divide  a  considerable  series  of  figures  without  the  aid 
of  either  pen  or  pencil.  The  problem  I  had  before  me 
would  involve  but  a  limited  number  of  figures,  and  I 
felt  satisfied  I  could  easily  manage  it,  —  so  far  as  that 
was  concerned. 

I  have  said  that  it  would  have  been  a  simple  and  easy 
computation  to  find  the  contents  of  the  cask,  in  cubic  feet 
or  inches.  Would  have  been,  supposes  that  there  was  a 
difiiculty,  —  and  there  was  one.  An  important  prehm- 
inary  matter  had  to  be  settled  before  I  could  enter  upon 
any  calculation,  —  a  very  important  one  ;  and  that  was, 
that  I  had  not  yet  reduced  my  measurements  —  neither 


185 

the  diameters  nor  the  length  —  to  feet  and  inches  !  1 
had  measured  the  cask  with  plain  pieces  of  stick,  and 
had  registered  the  dimensions  in  simple  notches  ;  but 
what  of  this  ?  I  knew  not  what  distance  these  notches 
might  be  from  the  end,  or  from  each  other,  —  how  many 
feet  or  inches  !  I  might  make  a  rude  guess,  but  that 
would  be  of  no  service  to  me  ;  so  that  after  all  my  pains 
I  had  as  yet  no  data  to  go  upon,  nor  could  I  have  any 
until  I  had  first  measured  my  measuring  rods  themselves  ! 

Apparently,  here  was  a  difficulty  not  to  be  got  over. 
Considering  that  I  had  no  standard  of  measurement 
within  reach,  —  neither  yard-stick,  nor  foot-rule,  nor 
graduated  scale  of  any  kind,  —  you  will  naturally  con- 
clude that  I  must  have  abandoned  the  problem.  A 
computation  founded  on  the  mere  length  of  the  stick 
would  have  been  absurd,  and  could  have  given  me  no 
information  whatever  upon  the  point  about  which  I 
wanted  to  be  informed.  To  find  the  cubic  and  liquid 
contents  of  the  cask,  I  must  first  have  its  length,  with 
its  largest  and  shortest  diameters,  expressed  in  standard 
terms,  —  that  is,  either  in  feet  or  inches,  or  some  other 
divisions  of  a  scale. 

And  how,  I  ask,  was  this  to  be  ascertained,  when  I 
possessed  no  standard  of  measurement  about  my  per- 
son ?  None  whatever.  I  could  not  make  one  ;  for  in 
order  to  do  so,  I  should  have  required  another  for  a 
guide.  Of  course,  I  could  not  guess  the  length  either 
of  feet  or  inches. 

How,  then,  was  I  to  proceed  ? 

Apparently,  the  difficulty  was  not  to  be  got  over. 
The  thing  seemed  impracticable. 

To  you  it  may  seem  so,  but  it  did  not  to  me.     I  had 


186  THE    BOY   TAR. 

thought  of  this  before.  I  should  not  have  proceeded  as 
far  as  I  had  done,  —  taking  so  much  pains  and  trouble 
with  the  splitting  and  splicing  of  my  sticks,  and  making 
my  measurements  so  exact,  —  had  I  not  foreseen  this 
difficulty,  and  thought  of  a  way  to  surmount  it.  All 
this  had  been  prospectively  arranged.  I  knew  before- 
hand that  I  could  measure  my  sticks,  and  tell  their  linear 
dimensions  to  the  exactness  of  an  inch. 

"How?" 

Thus,  then :  — 

When  I  said  just  a  little  ago,  that  I  had  no  standard 
about  my  person,  I  spoke  the  truth  only  literally.  Al- 
though not  exactly  ahout  my  person,  I  had  one  in  my 
person,  —  I  was  myself  that  standard!  You  will  now 
remember  my  having  submitted  myself  to  a  measure- 
ment, which  showed  me  to  be  four  feet  in  length.  Of 
what  value  that  knowledge  now  proved  to  me  ! 

Knowing,  then,  my  own  height  to  be  very  nearly  four 
feet,  I  could  notch  off  that  measure  upon  one  of  the 
sticks,  w-hich  would  give  me  a  measuring  rule  of  four 
feet  in  length. 

I  proceeded  to  obtain  this  result  without  delay.  The 
process  was  simple  and  easy.  Laying  myself  horizon- 
tally, I  planted  my  feet  against  one  of  the  great  ribs  of 
the  ship,  and  rested  the  end  of  the  stick  between  them. 
I  now  stretched  myself  out  at  full  length,  and  guiding  the 
rod  so  as  to  keep  it  parallel  to  the  axis  of  my  body,  I 
brought  it  across  my  forehead,  and  beyond.  With  my 
fingers  I  could  tell  the  point  that  was  opposite  the  crown 
of  my  head,  and  carefully  marking  this  point,  I  after- 
wards notched  it  w^ith  the  knife.  I  now  possessed  a  four- 
foot  rule,  exact  enough  for  my  purpose. 


"quod  erat  faciendum."  187 

But  there  were  difficulties  yet  to  be  encountered. 
With  a  four-foot  rule,  I  was  but  little  advanced  towards 
my  computation.  I  might  make  a  nearer  approach  to 
the  measurement  of  my  diameters,  but  that  would  not 
avail.  I  must  know  them  exactly.  I  must  know  them 
in  inches,  and  even  fractions  of  inches ;  for,  as  I  have 
said,  an  error  of  half  an  inch  in  some  of  my  data  would 
make  a  difference  of  gallons  in  the  result.  How,  then, 
was  I  to  divide  a  four-foot  stick  into  inches,  and  register 
the  inches  upon  its  edge  ?     How  was  this  to  be  done  ? 

It  seems  simple  enough.  The  half  of  my  four  feet  — 
already  ascertained  —  would  give  me  two  feet;  and  the 
half  of  that  again  would  reduce  the  standard  in  a  foot. 
This  again  notched  in  the  middle  would  make  two 
lengths  of  six  inches  each.  Then  I  could  subdivide 
those  into  lengths  of  three  inches,  which,  if  not  small 
enough  for  my  calculation,  could  be  still  further  subdi- 
vided into  three  equal  parts,  each  of  which  would  be 
the  desired  minimum  of  an  inch. 

Yes,  —  all  this  seems  easy  enough  in  theory,  but  how 
was  it  to  be  put  in  practice  upon  a  piece  of  plain  straight 
stick,  and  in  the  midst  of  as  perfect  darkness  as  that 
which  surrounds  a  blind  man  ?  How  was  I  to  find  the 
exact  middle  —  for  it  must  be  exact  —  of  even  the  four 
feet,  —  much  less  divide  and  subdivide  till  I  got  down  to 
the  inches  ? 

I  confess  that  I  was  puzzled  for  awhile,  and  had  to 
pause  and  reflect. 

Not  very  long,  however ;  I  was  soon  able  to  get  over 
this  trifling  obstacle. 

The  plan  that  first  suggested  itself  was  to  cut  a  third 
piece  of  stick,  of  a  little  over  two  feet  in  length,  which 


188  THE    BOY   TAR. 

I  could  easily  guess  at  within  a  few  inches.  This  I 
could  apply  alongside  of  my  four-foot  rule,  beginning  at 
the  end,  and  proceeding  as  if  I  was  measuring  the  lat- 
ter with  the  former.  Of  course,  on  the  first  application, 
two  lengths  would  reach  from  the  end  of  the  rule  to  the 
notch  that  marked  the  four  feet  length,  and  perhaps  ex- 
tend a  little  beyond.  I  should  then  shorten  the  measure 
and  apply  it  again.  This  time  its  end  would  have  ap- 
proached nearer  to  the  aforesaid  notch.  Another  bit 
cut  off  would  bring  it  still  nearer ;  and  the  process  being 
repeated,  by  shaving  gradually  from  the  end  of  the 
stick,  I  should  at  last  find  that  two  lengths  of  it  would 
exactly  correspond  with  the  length  of  my  four-foot  rule. 
I  should  then  have  a  piece  exactly  two  feet  in  length, 
and  by  the  help  of  this  I  could  find  the  middle  part  of 
the  longer  piece,  and  could  mark  it  with  a  "  nick." 

By  cutting  the  short  piece  into  two  nearly  equal  parts, 
I  could  then  take  the  larger  of  them,  and,  by  a  similar 
process,  obtain  the  standard  of  a  foot,  and  mark  it  also 
upon  my  rule  ;  and  so  on  till  I  had  succeeded  in  arriv- 
ing at  the  inches. 

Of  course,  to  do  all  this  would  require  time,  patience, 
and  the  nicest  precision  ;  but  I  had  plenty  of  time  upon 
my  hands,  and  it  was  my  interest  to  be  both  patient  and 
precise. 

Although  I  regarded  not  the  time,  just  as  I  was  about 
to  carry  out  the  plan  described,  another  suggested  itself 
that  promised  to  lead  me  sooner  to  the  issue  ;  it  would 
call  for  less  patience,  though  an  equal  amount  of  pre- 
cision. 

This  new  plan  was  a  sort  of  corollary  of  the  former 
one,  —  the  only  difference  being,  that  instead  of  a  stick 


"quod  erat  faciendum."  1B9 

I  should  perform  my  subdivision  and  graduation  with  a 
string. 

The  thongs  of  my  buskins  came  into  my  mind,  —  the 
very  thing  ! 

I  could  not  have  found  a  better  string  for  the  purpose. 
They  were  strips  of  best  calfskin,  cut  with  the  grain, 
and  could  not  have  been  stretched  the  eighth  part  of  an 
inch.  They  would,  therefore,  measure  as  accurately  as 
a  rule  of  boxwood  or  ivory. 

One  would  not  be  long  enough  ;  so  I  knotted  the  two 
together,  taking  care  to  make  a  neat,  firm  knot  of  it. 
They  made  a  string  of  over  four  feet,  and  having  laid 
it  along  the  four-foot  rule,  I  cut  it  with  my  knife  to  that 
length  exactly.  I  was  not  satisfied  till  I  had  measured 
it  over  and  over  again,  each  time  pulling  the  thong  with 
all  my  strength,  lest  some  "  kink  "  might  be  lurking  in 
it.  A  slight  error  would  derange  my  intended  scale,  — 
though  there  is  less  dan2;er  in  graduating  four  feet  down 
to  inches,  than  in  going  from  the  less  to  the  greater 
standard.  In  the  former,  each  subdivision  naturally 
lessens  the  error,  while  in  the  latter  it  is  continually 
doubled. 

When  convinced  that  I  had  got  the  thong  to  the  pre- 
cise length,  I  placed  its  two  ends  together,  and  then 
dra\\'ing  it  with  a  firm  pull  through  my  fingers,  I  creased 
it  exactly  in  the  middle.  Holding  it  taut  upon  the  blade 
of  my  knife,  I  cut  through  at  the  crease,  and  thus  di- 
vided it  into  two  moieties  of  equal  length,  each  two  feet 
long.  The  part  with  the  knot  I  laid  aside  as  being  no 
longer  needed,  and  the  remaining  half  I  again  doubled, 
and  cut  into  two.  This  gave  me  two  pieces  each  a  foot 
in  length. 


190  THE    BOY    TAR. 

One  of  these  I  next  folded  in  triple,  and  creased  for 
cutting  as  before.  This  was  a  delicate  operation,  and 
required  all  the  skill  of  my  fingers  to  accomplish,  —  for 
it  is  much  easier  to  divide  a  string  into  two  equal  parts 
than  into  three.  I  was  a  good  long  time  before  I  could 
get  it  trebled  to  my  satisfaction ;  but  I  succeeded  at 
length,  and  then  severed  the  parts. 

My  object  in  thus  cutting  into  three,  was  to  get  the 
pieces  in  even  fractions  of  four  inches  each,  in  order 
that  by  two  more  doublings  I  might  arrive  more  accu- 
rately at  the  inch. 

And  in  two  more  doublings  I  found  it. 

To  make  sure  that  I  had  committed  no  error,  I  took 
up  the  knotted  piece,  which  I  had  laid  aside,  and  after 
placing  the  other  fragments  where  they  could  be  got  at, 
I  reduced  the  second  half  of  the  string  as  I  had  done 
the  first. 

To  my  gratification,  the  inch  I  obtained  from  both 
exactly  corresponded.  There  was  not  a  hair's  breadth 
of  difference ! 

I  was  now  in  possession  of  a  guide  to  the  true  gradu- 
ation of  my  measuring  stick.  I  had  pieces  of  one  foot, 
of  four  inches,  of  two,  and  of  one ;  and  by  the  help  of 
these  I  proceeded  to  mark  my  rod  after  the  manner  of 
a  draper's  yardstick. 

It  occupied  some  time,  for  I  worked  with  care  and 
caution  ;  but  my  patience  was  rewarded  by  finding  my- 
self in  possession  of  a  measure  upon  which  I  could  rely, 
—  even  in  a  calculation  involving  the  question  of  my 
life. 

I  was  not  much  longer  in  deciding  the  point.  The 
diameters  were  now  measured  by  feet  and  inches,  and 


191 


the  mean  of  the  two  taken.  This  was  reduced  to  sur- 
face measure  bj  the  usual  method  of  squaring  the  circle 
(multiplying  by  eight,  and  dividing  by  ten).  This  gave 
the  base  of  the  hollow  cylinder,  —  which  would  be  equal 
to  the  frustum  of  a  cone  of  like  altitude,  —  and  another 
multiplication  by  the  length  produced  the  entire  cubic 
content. 

Dividing  by  sixty-nine,  I  got  the  number  of  quarts, 
and  so  gallons. 

The  butt,  when  full,  had  contained  somewhat  above 
one  hundred  gallons,  —  as  near  as  I  could  calculate, 
about  one  hundred  and  eight,  —  and  therefore  it  was  in 
all  likelihood  an  old  pipe  that  had  once  contained  sherry. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

THE    HORROR    OF   DARKNESS. 

The  result  of  mj  calculation  was  of  the  most  satis- 
factory nature.  Eighty  gallons  of  water  would  give 
half  a  gallon  each  day  for  one  hundred  and  sixty  days, 
or  a  quart  per  diem  for  three  hundred  and  twenty  days, 
—  nearly  a  whole  year !  Surely  I  could  subsist  on  a 
quart  a  day,  —  surely  the  voyage  could  not  last  for  so 
long  a  period  as  three  hundred  and  twenty  days  ?  A 
ship  might  sail  round  the  world  in  less  time.  I  remem- 
bered having  been  told  so,  and  it  was  fortunate  I  re- 
membered it,  for  my  mind  was  now  at  ease  on  the  score 
of  water.  For  all  that,  I  resolved  not  to  drink  more 
than  a  quart  a  day,  and  on  this  allowance  I  made  no 
doubt  that  the  supply  would  be  sufficient. 

There  was  more  danger  of  running  short  of  food  ; 
but,  upon  the  whole,  I  now  felt  very  little  apprehension, 
as  I  had  fully  resolved  to  diet  myself  on  the  most  eco- 
nomic scale. 

So  far,  then,  as  food  and  drink  were  concerned,  I  felt 
no  further  uneasiness.  It  was  well  assured  that  I  was 
not  to  die  either  of  thirst  or  starvation ;  and  the  very 
remarkable  manner  in  which  both  food  and  drink  had 
been  supplied  —  placed,  as  it  were,  before  me  —  natu- 
rally led  me  to  the  reflection  that  the  hand  of  Provi- 


THE   HORROR   OF   DARKNESS.  193 

dence  had  been  extended  to  aid  me,  and  I  was  still 
further  consoled  with  the  hope  that  He  who  had  thus 
mercifully  preserved  me  for  the  present,  would  not  for- 
sake me  in  the  future. 

In  this  state  of  feeling  I  continued  for  several  days, 
and  although  it  was  an  irksome  life  —  every  hour  seem- 
ing of  itself  a  day  —  still  I  was  able  to  endure  it. 
Sometimes  I  endeavored  to  kill  time  by  counting  not 
only  the  hours,  but  even  the  minutes  and  seconds ;  and 
in  this  occupation  (for  I  could  think  of  no  other)  I  often 
passed  several  hours  at  a  time.  My  watch  enabled 
me  to  amuse  myself  in  this  manner,  and  I  found  com- 
panionship in  its  cheerful  ticking.  I  fancied  that  it 
beat  louder  than  1  had  ever  before  heard  it,  and  most 
likely  this  was  so  —  the  sound  being  magnified  by  the 
wooden  walls  that  surrounded  my  cell.  I  took  care 
never  to  let  the  watch  go  to  the  full  length  of  its  chain, 
lest  it  might  run  down  and  derange  my  reckoning.  Not 
that  I  cared  to  know  the  hour.  That  was  of  no  con- 
sequence. I  did  not  even  know  whether  it  was  night 
or  day  by  the  watch,  nor  would  it  have  mattered  had  I 
not  known  the  one  from  the  other,  as  the  brightest  sun 
could  not  have  lent  a  ray  of  his  light  to  cheer  my  dun- 
geon. It  chanced,  however,  that  I  did  know  the  night 
from  the  day.  No  doubt  you  will  wonder  how  I  came 
by  this  knowledge  —  since  I  had  kept  no  time  for  the 
first  hundred  hours  after  getting  aboard,  and  there  was 
then,  in  the  complete  darkness  that  surrounded  me,  no 
means  of  distinguishing  the  one  from  the  other.  I  had 
a  means  of  telling,  however,  and  it  was  this :  During 
all  my  life  I  had  been  trained  to  the  habit  of  going  to 
bed  at  a  particular  hour  —  ten  o'clock  at  night  —  and 
9 


104  THE   BOY    TAR. 

also  of  rising  at  six  exactly.  This  was  a  rule  in  my 
father*s  house,  as  well  as  that  of  my  uncle  —  in  the  lat- 
ter, indeed,  I  was  compelled  to  observe  it  with  a  stern 
exactitude.  The  consequence  of  this  habit  was,  that 
whenever  the  hour  of  ten  drew  nigh,  I  naturally  felt  the 
inclination  for  sleep ;  and  the  habit  had  grown  so  fixed, 
that,  notwithstanding  the  change  of  circumstances,  it 
still  continued.  This  I  was  not  slow  to  observe.  I 
felt  the  desire  to  sleep  come  upon  me  at  regular  pe- 
riods, and  I  concluded,  therefore,  that  whenever  I  had 
this  feeling  upon  me  it  was  about  ten  o'clock  of  the 
night.  I  had  discovered,  too,  by  registering  the  time 
Avith  my  watch,  that  I  usually  slept  about  eight  hours, 
and  then  I  felt  no  desire  to  remain  asleep  any  longer. 
"When  I  awoke  it  would  be  six  in  the  morning ;  and,  in 
this  belief,  I  regulated  my  watch  to  that  hour.  So  con- 
vinced was  I  of  these  facts,  that  I  felt  confident  I  could 
have  counted  the  days  without  the  watch  ;  but  fearing 
that  some  change  might  occur  in  my  habitual  hours  of 
rest,  in  consequence  of  the  altered  circumstances  in 
which  I  was  placed,  I  resolved  always  to  keep  the  time- 
piece going.  Ever  before  lying  down  to  sleep,  I  took 
the  precaution  to  wind  it  up  to  the  full  length  of  its 
chain,  and  on  awaking  I  repeated  the  operation  —  so  that 
there  might  be  no  danger  of  even  a  moment's  stoppage. 
Though  satisfied  that  I  could  tell  night  from  day,  I 
have  said  that  it  mattered  little,  or  not  at  all.  It  was 
of  importance,  however,  that  I  should  know  when  each 
twenty-four  hours  had  ended,  —  for  it  was  only  by  that 
means  I  could  have  any  knowledge  of  the  progress  of 
the  voyage.  I  took  especial  care  to  count  the  hours ; 
and  whenever  I  perceived  that  the  hour-hand  had  com- 


THE   HORROR   OF  DARKNESS.  195 

pleted  two  circuits  around  the  dial,  I  cut  a  fresh  notch 
in  a  piece  of  stick,  set  aside  for  this  especial  purpose. 
I  need  not  say  that  my  registry  was  kept  with  the  great- 
est care.  The  only  part  of  it  on  which  I  could  not  de- 
pend was  that  referring  to  the  first  days  after  my  de- 
parture, when  I  had  taken  no  notice  w^hatever  of  the 
time  that  had  passed.  By  guess  I  had  put  down  four 
notches  against  those  days  and  nights,  and  I  afterwards 
found  that  my  memorandum  was  correct. 

Thus  for  several  days  —  nearly  a  week  —  passed  I 
the  hours,  —  the  long  hours  —  long,  and  dark,  and  irk- 
some ;  ever  more  or  less  miserable,  at  times  sadly  de- 
jected but  never  positively  despairing. 

Strange  to  say,  my  greatest  misery  arose  from  the  ab- 
sence of  hght.  I  had  at  first  suffered  from  my  cramped 
position,  and  also  from  lying  upon  the  hard  oak  timber ; 
but  I  got  used  to  these  inconveniences.  Besides,  for  the 
hardness  of  my  bed  I  soon  discovered  a  remedy.  I  had 
observed  that  the  box  which  stood  upon  the  other  side  of 
my  biscuit-house  contained  some  sort  of  stuff  that  had 
the  feel  of  woollen  goods.  On  further  examination,  it 
proved  to  be  broadcloth,  closely  packed  in  large  webs  as 
it  had  come  from  the  manufactory.  This  suggested  an 
idea  that  was  likely  to  contribute  to  my  comfort ;  and  I 
set  about  putting  it  into  execution.  After  removing  the 
biscuits  out  of  my  way,  I  enlarged  the  hole  (which  I 
had  already  made  in  the  side  of  the  cloth-box)  to  such 
an  extent  that  I  was  able  —  not  without  much  labor, 
however  —  to  detach  one  of  the  pieces,  and  draw  it 
out ;  and  then  with  less  trouble  I  pulled  forth  another 
and  another,  until  I  had  as  much  as  would  serve  my 
purpose.  I  was  two  hours  in  completing  this  opera- 
tion, but  having  got  possession  of  the  cloth,  and  shaken 


196  THE  BOY   TAR. 

it  out  of  its  hard  foldings,  I  procured  both  carpet  and 
couch  soft  enough  for  a  king  to  rest  upon ;  and  perhaps 
as  costly  too,  —  for  I  could  feel  that  I  was  handling  an 
article  that  was  "  superfine."  I  did  not  use  more  of  it 
than  was  absolutely  required  to  cover  the  hard  oaken 
planks.  Its  bulk  would  have  inconvenienced  me  had  I 
taken  much  of  it  from  the  box  ;  and  before  spreading  it 
out,  I  had  to  clear  the  way,  by  returning  all  the  biscuits 
to  their  old  repository. 

Having  spread  my  costly  couch,  I  lay  down  upon  it, 
and  felt  a  great  deal  more  comfortable  than  I  had  yet 
done. 

But  I  still  longed  for  light  more  than  for  anything 
else.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  the  misery  of  existence 
under  complete  darkness ;  and  I  could  now  well  compre- 
hend the  reason  why  the  "  dungeon  "  has  always  been 
regarded  as  the  most  awful  punishment  which  a  pris- 
oner can  be  made  to  endure.  No  wonder  men's  hair  has 
turned  gray,  and  their  senses  have  forsaken  them,  under 
such  circumstances,  —  for  in  truth  darkness  is  as  hard  to 
endure  as  if  light  were  essential  to  our  existence. 

I  thought  that  if  I  only  had  a  light,  I  could  have 
passed  the  time  without  thinking  it  half  so  long.  The 
darkness  appeared  to  me  to  double  the  duration  of 
the  hours,  —  as  though  it  was  something  physical  and 
substantial  that  clogged  the  wheels  of  my  watch,  and 
hindered  the  motion  of  time  itself.  Amorphous  dark- 
ness!  I  fancied  it  gave  me  pain,  —  a  pain  that  light 
would  at  once  have  alleviated ;  and  sometimes  I  felt  as 
I  had  once  done  before,  when  laid  upon  a  sick  couch 
counting  over  the  long  drear  hours  of  the  night,  and 
anxiously  watching  for  the  day.  In  this  way  slowly, 
and  far  from  pleasantly,  did  time  pass  on. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


THE    STORM. 


More  than  a  week  had  I  spent  under  this  tedious 
monotony  of  existence.  The  only  sound  that  reached 
my  ears  was  the  hoarse  rushing  of  the  waves  above  me. 
Above  me,  —  for  I  knew  that  I  was  far  down  amid 
their  depths,  far  below  the  surface  of  the  sea.  At  long 
intervals  only,  I  could  distinguish  other  noises,  —  like  a 
thumping  upon  the  decks  as  if  some  heavy  object  was 
being  moved  about,  and  no  doubt  such  was  the  cause  of 
it.  In  calm  weather  I  sometimes  fancied  I  could  hear 
the  bell  calling  the  men  upon  their  watches,  but  I  was 
not  sure  of  this.  At  all  events,  the  sound  appeared  so 
distant  and  indistinct,  that  I  could  not  positively  say  it 
was  a  bell;  and  if  so,  it  was  only  during  the  calmest 
weather  I  could  hear  it. 

I  speak  of  calm  weather,  for  I  knew  perfectly  when 
there  were  changes.  I  could  tell  the  breeze,  the  gale, 
the  storm,  —  when  they  commenced  and  when  they 
ended, — just  as  well  as  if  I  had  been  upon  deck.  The 
rolling  of  the  ship,  and  the  creaking  of  her  timbers, 
were  good  indices  as  to  how  the  wind  blew,  or  whether 
it  was  rough  or  mild  weather.  On  the  sixth  day  —  that 
is,  the  tenth  from  departure,  but  the  sixth  of  my  regis- 


198  THE   BOY   TAR. 

ter  —  we  encountered  a  regular  storm.  It  lasted  for 
two  days  and  a  night ;  and  must  have  been  a  terribly 
severe  one,  as  it  shook  the  timbers  of  the  vessel  as 
though  it  would  have  torn  them  asunder.  At  times  I 
really  thought  that  the  great  ship  was  going  to  pieces  ; 
and  the  noises  made  by  huge  boxes  and  casks  strik- 
ing and  grinding  against  each  other,  or  knocking  vio- 
lently upon  the  sides  and  bulwarks  of  the  ship  itself, 
was  sufficiently  terrible.  At  intervals,  too,  I  could  dis- 
tinguish the  sound  of  big  waves,  —  "  seas,"  as  the  sail- 
ors call  them,  —  breaking  against  the  vessel  with  awful 
crash,  as  if  a  huge  trip-hammer  or  battering-ram  had 
been  directed  with  full  force  against  the  timbers  of  the 
ship. 

I  had  no  doubt  that  the  vessel  was  in  danojer  of  beinsj 
wrecked ;  and  under  this  belief  you  may  fancy  my  sit- 
uation. I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  was  in  fear.  When 
I  thought  that  we  should  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea, 
and  I  situated  as  I  was,  —  shut  in  on  all  sides  as  if  in  a 
coffin,  —  with  no  chance  to  move,  not  even  to  make  an 
effi^rt  to  save  myself  by  swimming,  how  could  it  be  oth- 
erwise with  me  than  a  time  of  great  fear  ?  Had  I  been 
upon  deck  and  free,  I  am  certain  I  should  not  have 
been  half  so  frightened  at  that  storm. 

To  increase  my  misery,  the  sea-sickness  had  returned 
upon  me  —  for  this  is  usually  the  case  with  those  who 
go  to  sea  on  a  first  voyage.  A  great  storm  encountered 
brings  a  return  of  the  nauseous  malady,  often  as  dis- 
agreeably vigorous  as  that  experienced  during  the  first 
twenty-four  hours  at  sea.  This  is  accounted  for  very 
easily  —  it  is  simply  the  consequence  of  the  more  vio- 
lent rocking  of  the  ship  while  buffeted  by  the  storm. 


THE    STORM.  199 

For  nearly  forty  hours  the  gale  continued,  and  then 
there  succeeded  a  perfect  calm.  I  knew  this  to  be  the 
case,  because  I  no  longer  heard  the  seething  sound 
which  usually  betokens  that  the  ship  is  moving  through 
the  water.  But  notwithstanding  that  the  wind  had 
ceased  to  blow,  the  vessel  kept  tumbling  about ;  and 
her  timbers  creaked,  and  boxes  and  barrels  rolled  and 
knocked  each  other,  as  badly  as  ever.  This  was  occa- 
sioned by  the  "  swell "  which  always  succeeds  a  heavy 
gale,  and  which  is  sometimes  as  dangerous  to  vessels  as 
the  stormy  weather  itself.  In  a  very  heavy  swell  the 
masts  are  sometimes  broken,  and  the  ship  thrown  upon 
her  beam-ends  —  a  catastrophe  ever  dreaded  by  sailors. 

The  swell  gradually  subsided,  until,  in  about  twenty- 
four  hours  after,  it  had  ceased  altogether,  and  the  vessel 
appeared  to  glide  along  more  smoothly  than  ever.  The 
nauseating  sickness  took  its  departure  about  the  same 
time,  and  I  felt  the  reaction  of  health,  which  produced 
a  little  cheerfulness  within  me.  As.  my  fears  had  kept 
me  awake  during  the  whole  time  the  storm  was  raging, 
and  as  I  had  continued  ill  so  long  as  the  violent  rocking 
prevailed,  I  was  quite  worn  out  —  so  that  the  moment 
things  were  smooth  again,  I  fell  off  into  a  profound 
slumber. 

I  had  dreams  that  were  nearly  as  terrible  as  the  real- 
ities through  which  I  had  been  passing.  In  fact,  I 
dreamt  what  but  the  hours  before  I  had  been  dreading. 
I  dreamt  that  I  was  being  drowned,  and  just  under  the 
circumstances  in  which  I  was  —  shut  up  in  the  hold 
without  the  chance  of  swimming  a  stroke  for  my  life. 
Nay  more,  I  dreamt  that  I  actually  loos  drowned,  and 
lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  —  that  I  was  dead,  but 


200  THE   BOY   TAR. 

not  unconscious.  On  the  contrary,  I  could  see  well 
around  me,  and  perceived,  among  other  things,  horrible 
green  monsters  —  crabs  or  lobsters  —  crawling  towards 
me,  as  if  with  the  design  of  tearing  me  with  their  hide- 
ous claws,  and  feasting  on  my  flesh  !  One,  in  particular, 
drew  my  attention,  larger  and  more  spiteful-looking  than 
the  rest,  and  closer  to  me  than  any.  Each  instant,  too, 
he  was  drawing  nearer  and  nearer.  I  thought  he  had 
reached  my  hand,  and  I  could  feel  him  crawling  upon 
it.  I  could  feel  the  cold  harsh  touch  as  he  dragged  his 
unwieldy  shape  over  my  fingers,  but  I  could  not  move 
either  hand  or  finger  to  cast  him  off. 

On  he  came  over  my  wrist  and  straight  up  my  arm, 
which  was  lying  outstretched  from  my  body.  He  ap- 
peared as  if  determined  to  attack  m^e  in  the  face  or  the 
throat.  I  read  his  intention  to  do  so  from  the  eagerness 
with  which  he  advanced,  but  despite  the  horror  I  felt,  I 
coLild  do  nothing  to  repel  him.  I  could  not  move  hand 
or  arm  —  not  a  muscle  of  my  body.  How  could  I, 
since  I  was  drowned  and  dead  ?  "  Ha  !  he  is  on  my 
breast  —  at  my  very  throat  —  he  will  soon  clutch  me  — 
ha ! " 

I  awoke  with  a  shriek,  and  started  upward.  I  would 
have  risen  to  my  feet,  had  there  been  room  to  stand 
erect.  As  it  was,  there  was  not  room ;  and  a  blow 
which  I  received  by  dashing  my  head  against  the  great 
oak  rib  of  the  vessel,  brought  me  back  to  my  couch, 
and,  after  some  moments,  to  a  consciousness  of  my 
situation. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

A   NOVEL    DRINKING-CUP. 

Notwithstanding  that  it  was  all  a  dream,  and 
that  no  crab  could  possibly  have  crept  up  my  arm  — 
notwithstanding  that  I  was  now  awake,  and  knew  I  had 
been  only  dreaming  about  it  —  I  could  not  help  fancy- 
ing that  a  crab  actually  had  been  crawling  over  me  —  a 
crab  or  some  other  creature.  I  felt  that  peculiar  tin- 
gling sensation  along  my  arm  and  upon  my  breast  — 
which  was  quite  open  and  bare  —  that  might  be  pro- 
duced by  the  claws  of  some  small  animal  creeping  over 
one,  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  there  had  been 
something  ! 

So  convinced  was  I  of  this,  that  on  awaking  I  tlung 
out  my  arms  mechanically,  and  groped  all  over  the 
spread  broadcloth,  and  around  the  edges  of  my  lurk- 
ing-place, expecting  to  lay  them  upon  some  living  crea- 
ture ! 

Half  asleep,  I  still  believed  it  was  a  crab ;  but  as  ray 
senses  became  clearer,  I  reasoned  upon  the  improbabil- 
ity of  there  being  one  in  such  a  place.  And  yet,  why 
not  ?  A  crab  might  very  well  find  lodgment  in  the 
hold  of  a  ship  ;  it  might  have  been  brought  aboard  in 
some  strange  way  —  among  the  ballast  —  or   possibh 

9* 


202  THE   BOY   TAR. 

carried  aboard  by  some  of  the  sailors,  out  of  curiosity  ; 
it  may  have  been  abandoned  to  its  fate,  and  left  to  hide 
itself  among  the  numerous  corners  and  crevices  which 
are  found  among  the  timbers  of  a  vessel's  hold  ?  It 
might  procure  sustenance  in  the  bilge-water,  or  in  the 
ballast  rubbish,  or  perhaps,  like  the  chameleon,  crabs 
could  exist  on  air  ? 

I  had  such  thoughts,  but  only  for  a  few  moments  after 
awaking;  and  as  I  reasoned  further  on  the  matter,  I 
abandoned  them.  It  could  only  be  my  dream  that  had 
made  me  think  of  crabs  at  all.  But  for  that,  the 
thought  of  such  a  creature  would  not  have  entered  my 
mind.  There  could  have  been  no  crab,  else  I  should 
have  laid  my  hands  upon  it ;  for  I  had  lost  no  time  in 
groping  over  the  surface  of  my  cloth  carpeting  —  every 
inch  of  it  —  and  I  found  nothing  there.  There  were 
but  two  crevices  leading  out  of  my  cell,  by  which  a 
crab  of  any  considerable  size  could  have  entered  or 
escaped ;  and  I  had  felt  these  places  at  the  very  first 
moment.  So  slow  a  traveller  could  not  have  passed 
through  either  of  them  in  so  short  a  time  !  No,  there 
could  have  been  no  crab  ;  and  yet  there  was  something, 
certainly  —  something  had  crawled  over  me.  I  could 
not  be  convinced  of  the  contrary. 

1  lay  for  a  long  time  pondering  over  the  subject  of 
my  dream.  The  unpleasant  feeling  which  it  had  occa- 
sioned me  soon  passed  away.  It  was  very  natural  I 
should  have  dreamt  what  I  did,  since  it  w^as  almost  the 
same  thing  I  had  been  thinking  of  during  the  continu- 
ance of  the  storm. 

On  examining  my  watch,  I  found  that  I  had  consid- 
erably overslept  myself,  —  having  been  unconscious  for 


A   NOVEL   DRINKING-CUP.  203 

nearly  sixteen  hours  !  This  prolonged  slumber  was  the 
result  of  my  having  been  kept  so  long  awake  by  the 
storm,  and  the  sickness  that  it  had  occasioned  me. 

I  now  felt  more  hungry  than  I  had  done  for  days, 
and  at  once  set  about  satisfying  that  appetite.  Strive 
as  I  would,  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  eating 
more  than  my  allotted  ration,  and  I  did  not  leave  off 
till  I  had  eaten  four  of  my  precious  biscuits.  I  had 
been  told  that  nothing  creates  so  keen  an  appetite  as  a 
turn  of  sea-sickness,  and  I  found  this  to  be  truth. 
Indeed,  I  felt  as  if  I  could  have  consumed  the  whole  of 
my  stock,  and  the  four  biscuits  I  ate  scarcely  took  the 
edge  well  off  my  hunger.  Nothing  but  the  dread  of  run- 
ning short  hindered  me  from  eating  three  times  as  many. 

I  was  also  in  great  thirst,  and  swallowed  far  more 
than  my  allowance  of  water ;  but  I  was  not  so  careful 
of  this,  as  I  beheved  it  would  be  quite  sure  to  last  me 
to  the  end  of  the  voyage.  One  thing  about  the  water 
troubled  me  not  a  little.  Each  time  that  I  went  to  take 
a  drink,  a  considerable  waste  took  place,  in  consequence 
of  my  having  no  vessel  to  draw  it  in  ;  and,  moreover, 
to  drink  from  the  hole  I  had  made  was  altogether  an 
unsatisfactory  way  of  quenching  my  thirst.  As  soon 
as  the  peg  was  drawn  out,  a  strong  jet  would  shoot 
forth,  to  which  I  applied  my  mouth.  But  I  could  not 
swallow  it  as  fast  as  it  came,  and  it  was  sure,  —  after 
taking  away  my  breath,  and  half  choking  me,  —  to 
squirt  all  over  my  face,  wetting  my  clothes  and  every- 
thing else  about  me,  before  I  could  get  the  stopper  back 
into  its  place. 

If  I  only  had  had  a  vessel  to  draw  it  in  —  a  cup  or 
anything  ? 


204  THE   BOY   TAR. 

I  thought  of  using  one  of  my  buskins,  for  I  had  no 
need  for  them  otherwise ;  but  I  felt  some  qualms  about 
making  this  use  of  them. 

I  should  not  have  hesitated  to  have  drank  out  of  them, 
or  any  other  vessel,  when  pressed  by  thirst  previous  to 
my  having  tapped  the  butt ;  but  now  that  I  had  water 
in  plenty,  the  case  was  diflPerent.  Still,  I  could  get  one 
of  them  sufficiently  clean  for  the  purpose.  Better, 
thought  I,  to  waste  a  little  water  in  washing  one  of 
them,  than  lose  a  large  quantity  every  time  I  went  to 
drink. 

I  was  about  to  put  this  design  into  execution,  when  a 
better  idea  came  into  my  head  —  that  was  to  make  a 
drinking-cup  out  of  a  piece  of  broadcloth.  This  was 
altogether  better.  I  had  already  observed  that  the  cloth 
■was  water-proof — at  least,  the  water  that  was  spilt  from 
the  butt  appeared  to  lie  upon  it  without  passing  through 
—  for  I  had  been  obliged  to  shake  it  off  on  each  occa- 
sion. A  piece  of  the  cloth,  therefore,  formed  into  a  cup 
shape,  would  be  likely  enough  to  serve  my  purpose ; 
and  accordingly  I  resolved  to  make  me  such  a  vessel. 

It  needed  only  to  cut  a  broad  strip  with  my  knife, 
roll  it  up,  as  if  I  was  intending  it  for  a  fuimel,  —  taking 
care  to  fold  it  of  several  thicknesses  of  the  cloth. 
When  rolled,  I  bound  it  in  its  place  with  a  fragment  of 
the  thong  from  my  buskins,  and  I  thus  succeeded  in 
making  me  a  drinking-vessel,  which  would,  and  did, 
serve  me  as  w^ell  as  if  it  had  been  of  best  china  or 
glass.  I  was  henceforth  enabled  to  take  a  drink  more 
to  my  satisfaction,  and  without  wasting  the  precious 
fluid  upon  which  my  life  depended. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

MYSTERIOUS    DISAPPEAKANCE. 

As  I  had  eaten  so  many  biscuits  for  breakfast,  I  in- 
tended to  make  breakfast  serve  me  for  that  day  ;  but, 
hungering  as  I  was,  I  could  not  carry  out  my  good 
intent.  About  mid-day,  I  found  myself  groping  at  the 
box,  and  the  result  was,  that  I  abstracted  another  bis- 
cuit. I  resolved,  however,  to  eat  only  half  of  it  for 
dinner,  and  keep  the  other  half  for  supper. 

Following  out  this  resolution,  I  broke  the  biscuit 
across  the  middle,  and  laid  one  half  aside.  The  other  I 
ate,  washing  it  down  with  a  little  more  water. 

You  may  think  it  strange  that  I  did  not  fancy  a  little 
brandy  along  with  it,  —  which  I  might  have  had  without 
any  trouble,  since  there  were  at  least  an  hundred  gallons 
of  it  within  reach.  The  brandy,  however,  was  nothing 
to  me  ;  and  the  great  cask  might  as  well  have  contained 
vitriol,  for  aught  I  cared  for  it.  There  were  several 
reasons  why  I  did  not  meddle  with  it.  First,  because  I 
did  not  relish  it ;  second,  because  it  made  me  feel  sick, 
and  nauseated  both  my  palate  and  stomach.  I  suppose 
it  had  been  of  an  inferior  kind,  intended,  not  as  an  arti- 
cle of  commerce,  but  for  the  use  of  the  sailors, — as 
casks  of  very  bad  brandy  and  rum  are  carried  in  most 


206  THE   BOY   TAR. 

ships  for  the  use  of  the  crew.  A  third  reason  why  I 
kept  clear  of  the  brandy  was,  that  I  had  already  drank 
of  it  —  only  about  one  w'ineglassful  —  and  it  had  the 
effect  of  making  me  so  thirsty,  that  I  drank  nearly  half 
a  gallon  of  water  before  I  succeeded  in  fully  quenching 
my  thirst  again.  I  reasoned,  therefore,  that  if  I  touched 
the  brandy,  it  would  cause  me,  either  great  suffering 
from  thirst,  or  that  I  should  have  to  use  more  water 
than  I  could  spare.  Therefore  it  was,  that  I  determined 
to  abstain  altogether  from  this  alcoholic  spirit. 

When  my  watch  warned  me  that  it  was  my  usual 
hour  to  go  to  sleep,  I  resolved  to  eat  the  odd  half  bis- 
cuit, which  I  had  reserved  for  supper  ;  and  then  "  retire 
for  the  night." 

This  operation  consisted  simply  in  stretching  myself 
in  a  new  position,  and  drawing  a  fold  or  two  of  the 
broadcloth  over  me,  to  keep  me  from  getting  chilled 
while  asleep. 

For  the  first  week  after  leaving  port,  I  had  found  it 
very  cold,  for  it  was  the  winter  season  when  we  left 
home.  The  cloth,  however,  after  it  was  discovered, 
enabled  me  to  wrap  up  snugly  enough,  and  I  no  longer 
cared  for  the  cold.  After  a  time,  however,  I  began  to 
perceive  that  the  cold  had  quite  taken  its  departure,  and 
each  day  and  night  the  atmosphere  in  the  hold  of  the 
ship  appeared  to  be  growing  warmer.  On  the  night 
after  the  storm  had  passed,  it  did  not  feel  at  all  cold, 
and  the  slightest  covering  sufficed. 

At  first,  I  was  surprised  by  this  sudden  change  in  the 
state  of  the  atmosphere  ;  but  when  I  reflected  a  little,  I 
was  able  to  explain  it  to  my  satisfaction.  "  Beyond  a 
doubt,"  thought  I,  "  we  have  been  all  the  while  saihng 


MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE.  207 

southward,  and  we  are  getting  into  the  hot  latitudes  of 
the  torrid  zone." 

I  knew  but  little  of  what  that  meant,  but  I  had  heard 
that  the  torrid  zone,  —  or  the  tropics,  as  it  was  also 
called,  —  lay  to  the  south  of  England ;  and  that  there 
the  climate  was  hotter  than  the  hottest  summer  day  at 
home.  I  had  also  heard  that  Peru  was  a  southern 
country,  and  therefore  we  must  be  going  in  a  southerly 
direction  to  reach  it. 

This  was  a  very  good  explanation  of  the  warm 
weather  that  had  set  in.  The  ship  had  now  been  sail- 
ing for  nearly  two  weeks ;  and  allowing  her  to  have 
made  two  hundred  miles  a  day  (and  ships,  I  knew,  often 
go  faster  than  that),  she  would  at  this  time  be  a  long 
way  from  England,  and  in  a  different  climate  altogether. 

Thus  reasoning  with  myself,  I  contrived  to  pass  that 
afternoon  and  evening,  and  as  I  felt  the  hands  of  my 
watch  indicating  the  hour  of  ten,  I  resolved,  as  already 
stated,  to  eat  the  half  biscuit,  and  then  go  to  sleep. 

I  first  drew  a  cup  of  water,  so  that  the  biscuit  might 
not  be  eaten  dry  ;  and,  this  done,  I  stretched  forth  my 
hand  for  the  bread.  I  knew  the  exact  spot  where  it 
lay,  for  I  had  a  little  corner,  — just  alongside  the  great 
beam,  —  where  I  kept  my  knife  and  cup,  and  wooden 
almanac,  —  a  sort  of  little  shelf,  raised  by  a  roll  of  the 
cloth  above  the  common  level  of  my  cell.  There  I  had" 
placed  the  half  biscuit,  and  there,  of  course,  I  could  lay 
my  hand  upon  it  as  well  without  a  light  as  with  one. 
So  perfectly  had  I  become  acquainted  with  every  corner 
of  my  apartment,  and  every  crevice  leading  from  it, 
that  I  could  place  my  finger  on  any  given  spot  of  the 
size  of  a  crown-piece,  without  the  shghtest  deviation. 


208  THE   BOY   TAR. 

I  reached  fortli  my  hand,  then,  to  clutch  the  precious 
morsel.  Judge  my  astonishment  when  I  touched  the 
spot  where  I  supposed  it  to  be  lying,  and  found  it  was 
not  there  ! 

At  first,  I  fancied  I  might  be  mistaken,  —  that  per- 
haps I  had  not  left  it  in  the  usual  place  on  my  shelf. 
There  it  certainly  was  not. 

I  felt  the  cloth  cup,  for  that  was  in  my  hand  full  of 
water.  The  knife  was  in  its  place,  —  so,  too,  the  little 
notched  stick,  and  the  pieces  of  the  string  which  I  had 
used  in  measuring  the  butt,  —  but  no  half  biscuit ! 

Could  I  have  put  it  anywhere  else  ?  I  thought  not ; 
and  yet,  to  make  sure,  I  felt  all  over  the  bottom  of  my 
cell,  and  among  the  folds  and  wrinkles  of  the  cloth,  and 
even  in  the  pockets  both  of  my  jacket  and  trousers.  I 
felt  in  my  buskins  too,  —  for  these  were  not  upon  my 
feet,  as  I  no  longer  needed  them,  but  lying  idle  in  a 
corner.  I  left  not  an  inch  of  the  place  that  I  did  not 
examine  —  and  minutely  too  —  yet  still  no  half  biscuit 
could  be  found ! 

I  looked  carefully  for  it,  not  so  much  on  account  of 
its  value  ;  but  that  its  disappearance  from  the  shelf  was 
something  rather  strange  —  stranger  still  that  I  could 
nowhere  lay  my  hand  upon  it. 

Had  I  eaten  W^ 

I  began  to  fancy  that  I  had  done  so.  Perhaps,  dur- 
ing a  period  of  absent-mindedness,  I  might  have  swal- 
lowed it  up,  without  ever  thinking  of  what  I  was  doing. 
Certainly,  I  had  no  remembrance  of  having  tasted  food 
since  I  ate  its  counterpart,  —  the  other  half ;  and  if  I 
had  eaten  it  also,  it  must  have  done  me  very  little  good. 
I  had  neither  enjoyed  the  meal,  nor  yet  did  my  stomach 


MYSTEIIIOUS    DISAPPEARANCE.  209 

appear  to  have  received  much  benefit  from  it,  since  I 
was  just  as  hungry  as  if  I  had  not  tasted  food  that  day. 

I  recollected  perfectly  having  placed  it  alongside  the 
knife  and  cup  ;  and  how  could  it  part  from  the  place, 
unless  it  had  been  taken  away  by  my  own  hand  ?  I 
could  not  have  thrown  it  accidentally  from  the  little 
shelf,  for  I  did  not  remember  making  a  movement  in 
that  direction.  But  even  so,  it  would  still  have  been 
somewhere  about  me  ?  It  could  not  get  underneath  the 
butt,  for  the  crevice  there  was  closed  up,  —  regularly 
calked  w^ith  pieces  of  the  cloth.  I  had  done  this  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  level  surface  to  rest  upon. 

Certainly  the  half  biscuit  was  not  to  be  found.  It 
was  gone,  —  whether  down  my  throat  or  in  some  other 
way,  I  could  not  decide,  —  but  if  the  former,  I  thought 
to  myself,  what  a  pity  I  had  eaten  it  without  knowing 
what  I  was  about,  —  for  certainly  my  absence  of  mind 
had  deprived  me  of  all  enjoyment  of  the  meal. 

I  wavered  for  a  long  while,  as  to  whether  I  should 
take  another  biscuit  out  of  the  box,  or  go  to  bed  sup- 
perless.  But  the  dread  of  the  future  decided  me  to 
abstain  ;  and  summoning  all  my  resolution,  I  drank  off 
the  cold  water,  placed  my  cup  upon  the  shelf,  and  laid 
myself  down  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 


AN   UGLY   INTRUDER. 


For  a  long  while  I  did  not  sleep,  but  lay  thinking 
over  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  half  biscuit. 
I  say  mysterious,  for  I  was  more  than  half  convinced 
that  I  had  not  eaten  it,  but  that  it  had  gone  in  some 
other  way ;  though  how,  I  could  not  even  guess,  since 
I  was  perfectly  alone,  the  only  living  thing,  as  I  sup- 
posed, in  that  vessel's  hold  which  could  have  touched 
it.  Ah  !  now  I  thought  of  my  dream,  —  of  the  crab  ! 
Perhaps,  after  all,  there  might  have  been  a  crab  ?  — 
and  though  it  was  but  a  dream  that  I  was  drowned, 
yet  the  rest  might  be  true  enough,  and  a  crab  might 
actually  have  crawled  over  me  ?  It  might  have  eaten 
the  biscuit  ? 

It  would  not  be  its  natural  food,  I  knew ;  but  shut 
up  in  a  ship's  hold,  where  it  could  have  no  choice,  it 
would  be  likely  enough  to  eat  such  a  thing  rather  than 
suffer  starvation.    There  might  be  a  crab  after  all  ? 

Partly  by  such  a  train  of  reflections,  and  partly  by 
the  hungry  craving  of  my  stomach,  I  was  kept  awake 
for  hours.  At  length  I  found  myself  going  off,  not  into 
a  regular  sleep,  but  a  half  sleep  or  doze,  —  from  which 
every  two  or  three  minutes  I  awoke  again. 


AN   UGLY   INTRUDER.  21l' 

In  one  of  these  intervals,  during  which  I  lay  awake, 
I  fancied  that  I  heard  a  noise,  different  from  the  sounds 
that  habitually  fell  upon  my  ear.  The  ship  was  run- 
ning smoothly,  and  I  could  distinguish  this  unusual 
sound  above  the  soft  sighing  of  the  waves.  This  last 
was  now  so  slight,  that  the  ticking  of  my  watch  ap- 
peared louder  and  more  distinct  than  I  had  ever  ob- 
served it. 

The  sound  which  had  attracted  my  attention,  and 
which  was  something  new  to  me,  appeared  like  a  gentle 
scratching.  It  came  from  the  corner  where  ray  buskins 
lay  empty  and  idle.  Something  was  scratching  at  my 
hushins  ! 

"  The  crab,  to  a  certainty  !  "  I  said  to  myself.  The 
thought  at  once  drove  away  all  ideas  of  sleep ;  and  I 
placed  myself  in  an  attitude  to  listen,  and,  if  possible, 
lay  my  hands  on  the  thievish  intruder,  —  for  I  now  felt 
certain  that,  crab  or  no  crab,  whatever  creature  was 
making  the  scratching  noise  was  the  same  that  had 
stolen  my  supper. 

Once  more  I  heard  the  scraping  and  scratching  noise. 
Certainly  it  proceeded  from  my  buskins  ? 

Slowly  and  silently  I  raised  myself  into  a  half  upright 
positioh,  —  so  that  I  could  reach  the  buskins  with  a  sin- 
gle effort,  —  and  in  this  attitude  I  again  listened  for  a 
repetition  of  the  sound. 

But  though  I  remained  patient  for  a  considerable 
time,  I  did  not  hear  it  again  ;  and  I  then  passed  my 
hands  over  the  buskins,  and  around  the  place  where 
they  were  lying,  but  felt  nothing  there.  They  appeared 
to  be  just  as  they  had  been  left,  and  nothing  amiss. 
I  also  groped  over  all  the  floor  of  my  cell,  but  with 


212  THE   BOY   TAR. 

like  result.  Nothing  was  there  that  ought  not  to  have 
been. 

I  was  not  a  little  perplexed,  and  lay  for  a  good  while 
awake  and  listening,  without  hearing  anything  more  of 
the  mysterious  noise.  Sleep  once  more  began  to  steal 
upon  me,  and  I  dropped  off  into  a  series  of  dozing  fits 
as  before. 

Once  again  the  scraping  and  scratching  noise  falhng 
upon  my  ear  disturbed  me,  and  caused  me  to  lie  listen- 
ing. Most  surely  it  came  from  the  buskins  ;  but  when 
I  moved  to  get  within  reach  of  them,  the  noise  instantly 
ceased,  as  if  I  had  frightened  the  creature  that  was 
making  it ;  and,  just  as  before,  I  groped  everywhere 
and  found  nothing  ! 

"  Ha ! "  muttered  I  to  myself,  "  I  now  know  what 
has  been  causing  all  this  disturbance ;  no  crab  at  all,  — 
for  a  crab  could  not  possibly  crawl  so  quickly  out  of  the 
way.  The  intruder  is  a  mouse.  Nothing  more  nor 
less.  Strange  I  did  not  think  of  this  before  !  I  might 
have  guessed  that  it  was  a  mouse,  and  not  have  made 
myself  so  uneasy  about  it.  It  could  only  be  a  mouse  ; 
and,  but  for  my  dream,  I  should,  perhaps,  never  have 
thought  of  its  being  a  crab." 

With  this  reflection  I  lay  down  again,  —  intending  to 
go  to  sleep  at  once,  and  not  trouble  myself  any  more 
about  the  mouse  or  its  movements. 

But  I  had  scarcely  settled  my  cheek  upon  the  pil- 
low, when  the  scratching  began  afresh,  and  it  now 
occurred  to  me  that  the  mouse  was  gnawing  at  my 
buskins,  and  probably  doing  them  a  serious  damage. 
Although  they  were  of  no  service  to  me  just  then,  I 
could   not   permit  them  to   be  eaten    up  in  this  way ; 


AN   UGLY   INTRUDER.  213 

and,  raising  myself  once  more,  I  made  a  dash  to  catch 
the  mouse. 

In  this  I  was  unsuccessful.  I  did  not  even  touch  the 
animal ;  but  I  thought  I  heard  it  scampering  through 
the  crevice  that  led  out  between  the  brandy-cask  and 
the  timbers  of  the  ship. 

On  handling  the  buskins,  I  discovered  to  my  chagrin 
that  half  of  the  upper  leather  of  one  of  them  was  eaten 
away  !  The  mouse  must  have  been  busy  to  have  made 
so  mucb  ruin  in  so  short  a  time,  —  for  it  was  but  a  few 
hours  before  that  I  had  had  the  buskins  in  my  hands, 
and  I  had  then  noticed  nothing  wrong  with  them.  Per- 
haps several  mice  had  been  at  work  ?  This  was  likely 
enough. 

Partly  to  save  the  buskins  from  total  destruction,  and 
partly  to  hinder  myself  from  being  disturbed  again,  I 
took  them  out  of  the  corner,  and  placing  them  near 
my  head,  covered  them  up  with  a  fold  of  the  broad- 
cloth. This  done,  I  once  more  laid  myself  out  for  a 
sleep. 

After  a  while  the  dozing  fit  came  on  me,  but  I  was 
again  awakened  by  a  singular  sensation,  —  as  of  some- 
thing crawling  over  me !  It  appeared  as  if  some  crea- 
ture had  just  crept  over  my  legs  with  great  rapidity. 

The  feeling  startled  me  into  complete  wakefulness.  I 
did  not  move,  however,  but  lay  quietly  waiting  to  see 
if  the  thing  should  come  asrain. 

Of  course,  I  concluded  that  it  was  still  my  mouse, 
now  running  about  in  search  of  the  buskins.  I  was 
getting  annoyed  by  its  intrusion,  and  I  knew  it  would 
be  no  use  to  grope  for  it,  as  it  would  easily  escape 
through   one  of  the   crevices,  as   soon  as  it  found  me 


214  THE    BOY    TAR. 

moving.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  lie  quite  still,  and 
let  it  again  crawl  upon  me  as  before,  and  I  could  then 
easily  seize  upon  it.  It  was  not  my  intention  to  kill  the 
little  creature ;  but  I  intended  to  give  it  a  good  squeeze, 
or  pinch  its  ear  sharply,  so  that  it  would  not  come 
troubling  me  any  more. 

I  lay  a  long  while  without  hearing  or  feeling  it.  At 
last,  however,  my  patience  was  likely  to  be  rewarded. 
I  could  tell  by  a  slight  movement,  in  the  piece  of  cloth 
that  covered  my  limbs,  that  something  was  running  upon 
it,  and  I  even  fancied  that  I  heard  the  pattering  of  little 
feet.  Nearer  still  the  cloth  appeared  to  move,  until  I 
could  distinctly  feel  a  creature  crawling  on  my  ankles, 
and  then  upward  to  my  thighs.  It  appeared  heavy  for 
a  mouse ;  but  I  did  not  stay  to  reflect  about  this,  for 
now  or  never  was  the  time  to  seize  upon  it ! 

Down  came  my  hands,  with  fingers  outstretched  to 
cover  it ;  but,  oh,  horror  !  what  a  mistake  I  had  made  ! 

Instead  of  the  little  tiny  mouse,  which  I  intended  to 
clutch,  my  hand  rested  upon  the  body  of  an  animal  al- 
most as  large  as  a  kitten  !  There  was  no  mistaking  what 
it  was.     Beyond  doubt,  it  was  a  great,  horrid  rat ! 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


REFLECTIONS    ON    RATS. 


The  ugly  animal  left  me  no  choice  to  doubt  of  its 
species.  The  moment  my  fingers  touched  its  smooth 
coat,  I  recognized  it  by  the  "  feel ; "  but  I  felt  the  wicked 
creature  in  a  double  sense,  for  before  I  could  disengage 
my  hand  from  the  clutch  I  had  so  rashly  taken,  its  sharp 
teeth  had  pierced  my  thumb,  until  they  nearly  met 
through  the  flesh.  At  the  same  instant  its  screech 
sounded  in  my  ears  shrill  and  terrifying  ! 

I  withdrew  my  fingers  as  quickly  as  I  could,  and 
flinging  myself  to  the  farthest  corner  of  the  chamber,  — 
that  is,  the  one  which  I  thought  farthest  from  my  disa- 
greeable visitor,  —  there  for  some  minutes  I  crouched, 
listening  to  hear  whether  the  hideous  animal  had  left  me. 

I  could  hear  nothing,  and  I  concluded  it  had  made  a 
retreat  to  some  other  part  of  the  ship.  Most  probably 
it  was  as  badly  scared  as  I,  —  though  that  could  hardly 
have  been,  —  and  in  proof  that  I  was  the  more  fright- 
ened of  the  two,  the  rat  had  the  presence  of  mind  to 
use  its  teeth  and  bite  me,  while  I  was  for  the  moment 
quite  driven  out  of  my  senses. 

In  the  brief  encounter  my  antagonist  had  certainly 
proved  victorious ;  for  in  addition  to  the  fright  he  had 


216  THE   BOY   TAR. 

given  me,  he  had  inflicted  a  severe  and  painful  wound, 
that  was  every  moment  growing  more  painful.  I  per- 
ceived that  my  thumb  was  bleeding  freely,  —  for  I 
could  feel  the  blood  running  over  my  fingers,  and  glu- 
ing them  to  the  very  tips. 

I  could  have  borne  my  discomfiture  calmly  enough  — 
for  what  signified  the  bite  of  a  rat  ?  but  that  was  not 
the  whole  question.  The  thought  that  troubled  me  was, 
whether  the  creature  had  quite  gone  away,  or  whether 
it  was  still  near,  and  would  return  ? 

The  thought  of  its  coming  back  again,  —  perhaps 
emboldened  by  having  got  off  without  punishment, — 
caused  me  very  great  annoyance. 

You  may  wonder  at  this,  but  it  was  really  the  case. 
During  all  my  life  I  have  had  a  sort  of  instinctive  antipa- 
thy to  rats,  —  I  might  even  say  a  dread  of  them.  This 
feeling  Avas  stronger  while  I  was  only  a  boy ;  but,  al- 
though I  have  since  encountered  animals  of  a  much 
more  dangerous  character,  and  fought  with  some,  I  do 
not  remember  any  that  ever  inspired  me  with  more  fear 
than  I  have  felt  in  coming  in  contact  with  that  common 
and  ubiquitous  creature  —  the  rat.  It  is  a  fear  blended 
with  a  feeling  of  disgust ;  and  it  is  a  fear  not  altogether 
unfounded,  —  for  I  know  of  many  well-authenticated 
cases,  in  which  rats  have  attacked  human  beings,  and 
not  a  few  where  children,  and  even  men,  —  wound- 
ed or  otherwise  disabled,  —  have  actually  been  killed 
and  devoured  by  these  hideous  omnivora. 

Many  such  stories  had  been  told  me  while  I  was  a 
boy ;  -  and  it  was  but  natural  I  should  remember  them 
at  that  moment.  I  did  remember  them ;  and  under  the 
influence  of  such  memories,  I  felt  a  fear  upon  me  very 


IIEFLECTIONS   ON   RATS.  217 

much  akin  to  terror.  The  rat,  too,  was  one  of  the  largest 
I  had  ever  encountered,  —  so  large  that  for  a  moment  I 
could  scarce  beheve  it  to  be  a  rat.  lifelt  as  bulky  as  a 
half-grown  cat. 

As  soon  as  I  became  a  little  composed,  I  tied  up  my 
thumb  with  a  rag  torn  from  my  shirt.  The  wound  in  a 
few  minutes'  time  had  grown  exceedingly  painful,  —  for 
the  tooth  of  a  rat  is  almost  as  poisonous  as  the  bite  of  a 
scorpion,  —  and  small  as  was  the  scratch,  I  anticipated  a 
good  deal  of  suffering  from  it. 

I  need  not  add  that  the  incident  had  banished  sleep, 
at  least  for  a  time.  In  reality  I  did  not  go  to  sleep 
again  till  nearly  morning ;  and  then  I  awoke  every  min- 
ute or  two  with  a  start  —  from  fearful  dreams,  in  which 
the  vision  was  either  a  rat  or  a  crab  making  to  seize  me 
by  the  throat ! 

For  hours  before  I  slept  at  all,  I  lay  listening  to  see 
if  the  brute  would  return  ;  but  I  did  not  note  any  signs 
of  his  presence  for  the  remainder  of  that  night.  Per- 
haps the  squeeze  I  had  given  him,  —  for  I  had  come 
down  rather  heavily  upon  him,  —  had  frightened  him 
enough  to  hinder  a  repetition  of  his  visit.  With  this 
hope  I  consoled  myself,  —  else  it  might  have  been  still 
longer  before  I  should  have  slept. 

Of  course,  the  presence  of  the  rat  at  once  accounted 
for  the  disappearance  of  my  half  biscuit,  —  as  well  as 
for  the  damaged  upper  leather  of  my  buskin,  which 
latter  had  been  lying  at  the  door  of  his  milder  cousin 
the  mouse.  The  rat,  then,  must  have  been  prowling 
around  me  all  the  while,  without  my  having  known  of  it. 

During  the  hours  I  lay  listening,  before  faUing  asleep 
again,  my  mind  was  busy  with  one  particular  thought,  — 

10 


218  THE   BOY   TAR. 

that  was,  how  I  should  manage  in  case  the  rat  should 
return  ?  How  was  I  to  destroy  —  or  at  all  events,  get 
rid  of — this  most  unwelcome  intruder?  I  would  at 
that  moment  have  given  a  year  of  my  life  for  the  loan 
of  a  steel  trap,  or  any  trap  that  would  take  rats  ;  but 
since  the  loan  of  a  trap  was  out  of  the  question,  I  set 
my  brains  to  work  to  invent  some  contrivance  that  would 
enable  me  to  rid  myself  of  my  unpleasant  neighbor ; 
neighbor  I  might  call  him,  for  I  knew  that  his  house 
was  not  far  oflP,  —  perhaps  at  that  moment  he  had  his 
den  not  three  feet  from  my  face,  —  likely  enough,  under 
the  biscuit-box  or  the  cask  of  brandy. 

Cudgel  my  brains  as  I  might,  I  could  hit  upon  no 
plan  to  get  hold  of  him,  —  at  least,  no  plan  to  trap  him 
with  safety.  I  felt  pretty  sure  I  could  lay  my  hands 
upon  him,  provided  he  came  near  enough, — just  as  I 
had  done  already  ;  but  I  was  in  no  humor  to  repeat  that 
performance.  I  knew  the  crevice  by  which  he  had  re- 
treated. It  was  the  aperture  between  the  two  great 
barrels,  —  the  brandy-cask  and  the  water-butt. 

I  fancied  he  would  return  the  same  way,  if  he 
came  back  at  all ;  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  if  I  were 
to  stop  up  all  the  other  apertures  except  that  one, — 
which  I  could  easily  do  with  pieces  of  cloth,  —  let 
him  come  in,  and  then  suddenly  cut  off  his  retreat  by 
calking  that  one  also,  I  should  have  him  in  the  trap. 
But  this  would  be  placing  myself  in  an  awkward  situ- 
ation. I  should  be  in  the  trap  as  well  as  he,  and  he  no 
nearer  destruction  than  ever,- — unless  I  finished  him 
by  a  hand-to-hand  tussle.  Of  course,  I  knew  I  could 
conquer  and  kill  the  rat.  My  superior  strength  would 
enable  me  to  squeeze  him  to  death  between  my  hands, 


KEFLECTIONS    ON   RATS.  219 

but  not  without  getting  a  good  many  severe  bites,  and 
the  one  I  had  got  already  hindered  me  from  having  any 
relish  for  another  encounter  of  the  kind. 

How,  then,  was  I  to  manage  without  a  trap  ?  That 
was  the  thought  that  occupied  me  as  I  lay  sleepless  and 
in  dread  of  the  rat  returning. 

But  I  cogitated  to  no  purpose.  It  was  well-nigh 
morning,  when,  worn  with  watching  and  planning,  I 
fell  off  into  the  half-dozing  half-dreaming  state,  —  of 
which  I  have  already  spoken,  —  and  still  no  feasible 
plan  had  offered  itself  for  entrapping  the  "vermin" 
that  was  causing  me  so  much  annoyance  and  alarm. 


CHAPTER  XXXVin. 


OH  !    FOR    A    STEEL    TRAP ! 


After  several  hours  spent  in  dozing  and  dreaming 
by  "  fits  and  starts,"  I  was  again  fairly  awake,  and  could 
sleep  no  more  for  thinking  of  the  great  rat.  Indeed, 
the  pain  I  suffered  was  of  itself  sufficient  to  keep  me 
awake ;  for  not  only  my  thumb,  but  the  whole  hand 
was  swollen,  and  ached  acutely.  I  had  no  remedy  but 
to  bear  it  patiently  ;  and  knowing  that  the  inflammation 
would  soon  subside  and  relieve  me,  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  endure  it  with  fortitude.  Greater  evils  absorb  the 
less  ;  and  it  was  so  in  my  case.  My  dread  of  the  rat 
paying  me  another  visit  was  a  far  greater  trouble  to  me 
than  the  pain  of  my  wound,  and  as  my  attention  was 
wholly  taken  up  with  the  former,  I  almost  forgot  that 
my  thumb  was  aching. 

As  soon  as  I  was  well  awake,  my  thoughts  returned 
to  the  subject  of  trapping  my  tormentor.  I  was  quite 
sure  he  would  return  to  trouble  me,  for  I  already  had 
some  indications  of  his  presence.  The  weather  still 
continued  calm,  and  I  could  hear  any  occasional  sounds 
very  distinctly.  I  heard  what  resembled  the  pattering 
of  little  feet,  as  of  the  rat  running  over  the  lid  of  an 
empty  box  5  and  once  or  twice  I  clearly  distinguished 


OH  !    FOR   A    STEEL   TRAP  !  221 

the  short,  shrill,  cricket-like  "  chirp  "  that  rats  are  wont 
to  utter.  I  can  think  of  no  more  disagreeable  sound 
than  the  voice  of  a  rat,  and  at  that  time  it  sounded 
doubly  disagreeable.  You  may  smile  at  my  simple 
fears,  but  I  could  not  help  them.  I  could  not  help  a 
presentiment  that  somehow  or  other  my  life  was  in 
danger  from  the  presence  of  this  rat,  and  the  presenti- 
ment was  not  a  vain  or  idle  one,  as  you  shall  afterwards 
learn. 

The  fear  that  I  had,  then,  was  that  the  rat  would 
attack  me  in  my  sleep.  So  long  as  I  might  be  awake, 
I  was  not  much  afraid  that  it  could  do  me  any  very 
great  injury.  It  might  bite  me,  as  it  had  done  already, 
but  that  signified  little.  I'^ould  be  able  to  destroy  it 
somehow.  But  supposing  I  should  fall  into  a  deep 
sleep,  and  the  spiteful  creature  should  then  seize  me  by 
the  throat  ?  Some  such  idea  as  this  it  was  that  kept 
me  in  misery.  I  could  not  always  keep  awake  and  on 
the  qui  vive.  The  longer  I  did  so,  the  more  deeply 
would  I  slumber  afterwards,  and  then  would  be  the 
time  of  danger.  I  could  not  go  to  sleep  again  with 
any  feeling  of  security  until  that  rat  was  destroyed  ; 
and  therefore  its  destruction  was  the  end  I  now  aimed 
at. 

I  remained  cogitating  as  to  how  I  should  encompass 
it ;  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  think  of  no  other  way 
than  to  gripe  the  creature  in  my  hands,  and  squeeze  it 
to  death.  If  I  could  have  made  sure  of  getting  a  proper 
hold  of  it,  —  that  is,  with  my  fingers  round  its  throat, 
so  that  it  could  not  turn  its  teeth  upon  me,  —  then  the 
thing  would  be  easy  enough.  But  therein  lay  the  diffi- 
culty.    I  should  have  to  seize  it  in  the  dark,  —  at  ran- 


222  THE   BOY   TAR. 

dom,  —  and  likely  enough  it  would  prove  as  quick  as 
myself  in  getting  the  advantage  of  the  hold.  More- 
over, my  crippled  thumb  was  in  such  a  condition,  that 
in  that  hand,  —  my  right  one,  too,  —  I  was  not  sure  I 
could  even  hold  the  rat,  much  less  crush  the  life  out  of 
it. 

I  bethought  me  of  some  means  of  protecting  my  fin- 
gers from  its  teeth.  If  I  had  only  been  possessed  of  a 
pair  of  strong  gloves  ;  but  then  I  was  not,  and  it  was  no 
use  thinking  of  them. 

Yes,  —  it  was  of  use  ;  it  proved  so  ;  for  thinking  of 
the  gloves  suggested  the  idea  of  a  substitute ;  and  this 
substitute  was  within  my  reach,  —  my  buskins.  By  in- 
serting my  hands  into  these,  and  covering  them  up 
to  the  wrists,  I  should  gain  a  protection  against  the 
sharp  teeth  of  the  rat,  and  could  I  only  get  the  animal 
under  the  soles,  I  would  surely  have  strength  enough  to 
squeeze  the  breath  out  of  it.  A  capital  idea,  and  I  at 
once  proceeded  to  carry  it  into  execution. 

Placing  the  buskins  in  readiness,  I  crouched  near  the 
crevice  where  the  rat  should  enter.  All  the  others,  as 
already  stated,  I  had  carefully  plugged  up,  and  I  now 
determined,  if  the  rat  came  in,  to  stuff  my  jacket  into 
the  aperture  before  it  could  retreat,  and  thus  have  it  at 
my  mercy.  I  should  then  speedily  put  on  my  gloves, 
and  pound  away  till  I  had  finished  the  business. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  rat  had  either  determined  to  brave 
the  encounter,  or  that  fortune  was  against  it. 

I  had  scarcely  set  my  house  in  order  to  receive  my 
visitor,  when  the  pattering  of  feet  upon  the  broadcloth, 
and  a  little  squeak  which  I  heard,  told  me  that  the  rat 
had  passed  through  the  crevice,  and  was  actually  inside 


OH  !    FOR   A    STEEL   TRAP  !  223 

the  inclosure.  I  plainly  heard  it  rushing  about,  as  I 
pushed  the  jacket  into  the  aperture  ;  and  once  or  twice 
I  felt  it  coursing  across  my  legs  ;  but  I  took  no  heed  of 
its  movements  until  I  had  made  all  secure  against  its 
retreat.  Then  I  planted  my  hands  firmly  in  the  bus- 
kins, and  commenced  searching  for  the  enemy. 

As  I  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  shape  of  my 
little  chamber,  and  knew  to  the  breadth  of  a  hair  where 
every  corner  lay,  I  was  not  long  in  "  feeling "  it  up. 
My  mode  of  proceeding  was  to  raise  the  buskins,  and 
plant  them  down  again,  each  time  striking  upon  new 
ground.  I  believed  that  if  I  could  only  get  one  of 
them  upon  a  portion  of  the  rat's  body,  I  could  hold  it 
until  I  might  secure  a  safer  hold  with  both,  and  then  it 
would  only  remain  to  press  downward  with  all  my 
might.  This  was  my  programme,  but  though  well 
enough  designed,  I  was  unable  to  carry  it  through. 

The  affair  ended  in  a  very  different  way.  I  suc- 
ceeded in  planting  one  of  the  buskins  upon  the  animal, 
but  from  the  want  of  a  firm  floor  underneath,  I  was  not 
able  to  hold  it,  and  the  soft  cloth  yielding  enabled  it  to 
get  away.  It  escaped  from  my  hold  with  a  loud  screech, 
and  the  next  place  I  felt  it  in  was  running  up  the  leg  of 
my  trousers,  and  inside ! 

A  feehng  of  horror  ran  through  my  veins  ;  but  I  was 
now  warmed  to  the  encounter ;  and,  throwing  aside  the 
buskins,  —  which  were  no  longer  of  service,  —  I  grasped 
the  body  of  the  rat,  just  as  it  had  reached  the  height  of 
my  knee.  I  was  able  to  hold  it  there,  although  it  strug- 
gled with  a  strength  that  quite  astonished  me,  and  its 
loud  squealing  was  terrible  to  hear. 

I  still  held  on,  pressing  the  body  with  all  my  might, 


224  THE   BOY   TAR.  , 

and  quite  insensible  to  the  pain  in  my  thumb.  The 
cloth  of  my  trousers  protected  my  fingers  from  being 
bitten,  but  I  did  not  come  off  unscathed,  for  the  spiteful 
creature  buried  its  teeth  in  my  flesh,  and  kept  them 
there  as  long  as  it  was  able  to  move.  It  was  only  after 
I  had  got  my  thumb  round  its  throat,  and  fairly  choked 
it  to  death,  that  the  teeth  relaxed  their  grasp,  and  I  per- 
ceived that  I  had  succeeded  in  putting  a  period  to  its 
existence. 

Having  released  the  body  from  my  hold,  I  shook  it 
out  of  my  trousers  quite  lifeless  and  limp ;  and  then, 
removing  my  jacket  from  the  aperture,  I  flung  the  dead 
rat  out  in  the  direction  whence  it  had  come. 

I  felt  greatly  relieved ;  and,  confident  that  I  should 
no  longer  be  troubled  by  Monsieur  Rat,  I  betook  my- 
self to  sleep,  determined  to  make  up  for  what  I  had  lost 
during  the  night. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 


A    SWARM    OF   INTRUDERS. 


My  feeling  of  security  proved  to  be  a  false  one.  I 
could  not  have  been  asleep  more  than  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  when  I  was  suddenly  awakened  by  something 
running  over  my  breast.  Was  it  another  rat  ?  If  not, 
it  certainly  was  some  creature  that  behaved  exactly  like 
one. 

I  lay  for  some  moments  without  stirring,  and  listened 
attentively ;  but  I  could  hear  nothing.  Had  I  only 
dreamt  that  something  ran  over  me  ?  Not  so  ;  for  just 
then  I  thought  I  could  hear  the  pattering  of  little  feet 
over  the  loose  cloth.  Right ;  I  did  hear  the  sound,  and 
the  moment  after  felt  the  same  feet  upon  my  thigh. 

Starting  upward,  and  bringing  my  hand  down  upon 
the  spot,  I  was  again  horrified  by  feeling  a  large  rat, 
that,  as  soon  as  I  touched  it,  sprang  away,  and  I  could 
hear  it  rattling  off  through  the  crevice  between  the 
casks. 

Surely  it  could  not  be  the  same  I  had  just  dispatched  ? 
No,  —  cats  do  come  to  life  again  after  being  supposed 
to  be  dead  (sometimes  after  being  buried  I)  but  I  never 
heard  of  rats  possessing  this  extraordinary  power  of 
vitality.  I  felt  satisfied  that  I  had  quite  killed  the  rat, 
10* 


226  THE    BOY    TAR. 

—  in  fact,  the  handling  I  gave  it  might  have  taken  nine 
lives,  if  it  had  had  that  number  to  spare.  It  was  dead 
as  a  nail  when  I  flung  it  out.  It  could  not  be  that 
one. 

And  jet,  absurd  as  it  may  seem,  I  fancied,  —  half 
asleep  as  I  was,  —  that  it  was  the  same  rat  returning  to 
avenge  itself.  This  fancy,  however,  forsook  me  as  soon 
as  I  was  fairly  awake,  and  I  knew  it  could  not  be  the 
same.  Most  likely  it  was  its  mate,  or  partner,  and  a 
lit  partner  it  was,  for  I  noticed  as  I  passed  my  fingers 
over  it,  that  this  second  one  was  also  a  rat  of  very  large 
size. 

No  doubt,  thought  I,  this  is  the  female  of  the  one  I 
have  killed  coming  in  search  of  her  mate.  But  she  had 
entered  by  the  same  crevice,  —  she  must  have  passed 
where  the  dead  one  lay,  and  must  know  what  had  oc- 
curred ?     Was  she  going  to  avenge  his  death  ? 

Sleep  was  again  banislied  from  my  eyes.  How 
could  I  sleep,  with  such  a  hideous  animal  prowhng 
about,  and  perhaps  with  the  fixed  intention  to  attack 
me  ? 

Wearied  as  I  had  now  grown  with  watching,  I  could 
not  go  to  rest  until  I  should  rid  myself  of  this  second 
intruder. 

I  was  under  the  belief  that  this  one  would  soon  re- 
turn again.  I  had  not  caught  hold  of  it,  but  merely 
touched  it  with  my  fingers,  and  as  I  had  offered  no  par- 
ticular violence  to  it,  likely  enough  it  would  soon  venture 
back. 

Under  this  conviction  I  placed  myself  as  before,  — 
close  to  the  crevice,  jacket  in  hand,  —  and  with  my  ear 
set  close  to  the  aperture,  I  listened  attentively. 


A   S^YARM   OF   INTRUDERS.  227 

In  a  few  minutes  I  distinctly  heard  the  chirrup  of  a 
rat  outside,  and  almost  continually  the  same  scratching 
and  pattering  I  had  noticed  before. 

I  think  there  was  some  loose  board  or  hollow  box  by 
which  the  sound  was  produced,  —  for  it  was  very  loud 
to  be  caused  by  so  small  an  animal.  These  noises  con- 
tinued, and  I  fancied  that  I  also  heard  the  rat  passing 
into  my  chamber,  but  still  the  pattering  and  scratching 
were  kept  up  outside,  and  therefore  the  animal  could  not 
be  in. 

Once  more  I  was  sure  I  heard  it  passing  me,  but  at 
the  same  time  the  chirrup  fell  on  my  ear,  and  that  cer- 
tainly came  from  without.  Again  and  again  I  fancied  I 
was  not  the  only  tenant  of  the  chamber,  but  I  still  re- 
strained myself  from  closing  up  the  crevice,  thinking  I 
might  be  mistaken. 

At  length,  however,  a  loud  squeal  was  uttered  to  the 
right  of  my  position,  certainly  within  the  inclosure;  and, 
waiting  no  longer,  I  stuffed  the  jacket  into  the  aperture, 
and  made  all  tight  and  sure. 

I  now  turned  to  feel  for  the  rat,  —  taking  the  precau- 
tion, as  before,  to  insert  my  hands  into  the  buskins.  I 
had  taken  still  another  precaution,  and  this  was  to  tie 
the  legs  of  my  trousers  tight  around  my  ankles,  lest  this 
other  rat  should  act  as  its  predecessor  had  done.  Thus 
prepared,  I  proceeded  to  grope  around. 

I  had  no  liking  for  the  encounter,  but  I  was  deter- 
mined to  rid  myself  of  the  annoyance  which  I  had  been 
suffering,  and  get  some  sleep,  —  without  being  again 
disturbed,  —  and  I  could  think  of  no  other  way  than  to 
kill  the  rat  as  I  had  done  its  companion. 

So  to  work  I  again  went.     Horror  of  horrors  !  fancy 


228  THE   BOY   TAR. 

the  terrible  fears  than  ran  through  me,  when,  instead  of 
one  rat,  I  discovered  that  a  whole  swarm  of  these  hide- 
ous brutes  was  inclosed  in  my  apartment !  Not  one, 
but  probably  half  a  score  of  them  !  The  place  appeared 
crowded  with  them,  and  I  could  scarce  put  down  the 
buskins  without  touching  one.  I  felt  them  running  all 
around  me,  over  my  legs,  the  backs  of  my  hands,  — 
everywhere,  —  at  the  same  time  uttering  their  fierce 
cries  as  if  they  were  menacing  me  ! 

It  is  but  truth  to  say,  I  was  frightened  nearly  out  of 
my  senses.  I  thought  no  longer  about  killing  them. 
For  some  moments  I  scarcely  knew  what  I  was  doing ; 
but  I  remember  that  I  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  lay 
hold  of  my  jacket,  and  pull  it  out  of  the  aperture. 
Then  swinging  it  around,  I  continued  to  beat  the  floor 
in  every  direction,  shouting  all  the  while  at  the  top  of 
my  voice. 

My  shouts  and  the  violence  of  my  actions  appeared 
to  produce  the  desired  effect,  —  for  I  heard  the  rats  re- 
treating through  the  crevice  ;  and  after  a  time,  on  ven- 
turing to  reconnoitre  the  floor  with  my  naked  hands,  I 
found,  to  my  delight,  they  had  taken  their  departure, 
one  and  all  of  them. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE   NORWAY   RAT. 

If  I  was  uncomfortable  before  with  the  presence  of 
a  single  rat,  how  much  more  uneasy  was  I  with  the 
knowledge  that  a  whole  gang  of  these  disgusting  ani- 
mals was  in  my  neighborhood  !  There  must  be  a  still 
greater  number  than  those  I  had  just  routed,  —  for  be- 
fore closing  up  the  aperture  with  my  jacket,  I  had  still 
heard  others  squeaking  and  scraping  on  the  boards  out- 
side. Like  enough  there  were  scores  of  them,  —  for  I 
had  heard  that  in  many  ships  such  vermin  abound, 
finding  a  secure  hiding-place  in  the  numerous  crevices 
among  the  timbers  of  the  hold.  I  had  heard,  moreover, 
that  these  ship-rats  are  the  fiercest  of  their  kind,  and 
when  driven  to  extremes  by  hunger,  —  which  is  not 
unfrequently  the  case,  —  will  not  hesitate  to  attack  liv- 
ing creatures,  and  show  but  little  fear  of  either  cat  or 
dog.  They  often  commit  extensive  damage  upon  arti- 
cles of  the  cargo,  and  are  thus  a  great  nuisance  in  a 
ship,  especially  when  she  has  not  been  properly  over- 
hauled and  cleaned  out  before  loading  for  a  voyage. 
These  ship-rats  are  the  sort  known  as  '*  Norway  rats," 
on  account  of  a  belief  that  they  were  first  brought  to 
England  in  Norwegian  ships ;  but  whether  they  origi- 
nated in  Norway  or  elsewhere,  it  matters  little,  as  they 


230  THE   BOY    TAR. 

are  now  universally  distributed  over  the  whole  globe, 
and  I  believe  there  is  no  part  of  the  earth,  where  ships 
have  touched,  that  Norway  rats  are  not  found  in  abun- 
dance. If  Norway  was  in  reality  the  country  of  their 
origin,  then  it  follows  that  all  climes  are  alike  to  them, 
—  since  they  are  especially  abundant  and  thriving  in 
the  hot  tropical  climates  of  America.  Seaport  towns 
in  the  West  Indies  and  the  continents  of  both  North 
and  South  America  are  infested  with  them;  and  so 
great  a  nuisance  are  they  deemed  in  some  of  these 
places,  that  a  "  rat-bounty "  is  usually  offered  by  the 
municipal  authorities  for  their  destruction.  Notwith- 
standing this  premium  for  killing  them,  they  still  exist 
in  countless  numbers,  and  the  wooden  wharves  of  these 
American  seaports  appear  to  be  their  true  harbors  of 
refuge  ! 

The  Norway  rats  are  not  individually  large  rats. 
Occasionally  very  large  ones  are  found  among  them, 
but  these  are  exceptional  cases.  They  are  in  general 
less  distinguished  for  size,  than  for  a  fierce  and  spiteful 
disposition,  combined  with  a  great  fecundity,  which  of 
course  renders  them  exceedingly  numerous  and  trouble- 
some. It  has  been  observed  that  wherever  they  make 
their  appearance,  in  a  few  years  the  rats  of  all  other 
species  disappear;  and  it  is  therefore  conjectured  that 
the  Norway  rats  destroy  the  other  kinds !  Weasels  are 
no  match  for  them,  —  for  what  they  lack  in  individual 
strength  is  amply  compensated  for  by  their  numbers,  — 
and  in  these  hot  countries  they  outnumber  their  ene- 
mies in  the  proportion  of  hundreds  to  one.  Even  cats 
are  afraid  of  them  ;  and  in  many  parts  of  the  world 
the  cats  will  shy  away  from  an  encounter  with  Norway 


THE   NORWAY   RAT.  231 

rats,  choosing  for  their  prey  some  victim  of  a  milder 
disposition.  Even  large  dogs,  unless  specially  set  on, 
will  prefer  to  pass  and  give  them  a  wide  berth. 

One  fact  about  the  Norway  rat  is  peculiar :  It  ap- 
pears to  know  when  it  possesses  the  advantage.  Where 
they  are  but  few  and  in  danger  of  being  destroyed, 
they  are  timid  enough ;  but  in  those  countries  where 
they  are  allowed  to  increase,  they  become  emboldened 
by  impunity,  and  are  much  less  awed  by  the  presence 
of  man.  In  the  seaports  of  some  tropical  countries 
they  will  scarce  take  the  precaution  to  hide  themselves  ; 
and  on  moonlight  nights,  when  they  come  out  in  great 
numbers,  they  hardly  deign  to  turn  aside  out  of  the  way 
of  the  passenger.  They  will  just  creep  a  little  to  one 
side,  and  then  close  up  behind  the  heels  of  any  one  who 
may  be  passing  along.  Such  creatures  are  the  Norway 
rats. 

I  was  not  acquainted  with  all  these  facts  at  the  time 
of  my  adventure  with  the  rats  in  the  ship  Inca  ;  but  I 
knew  enough,  even  then,  from  sailors'  yarns  I  had 
heard,  to  make  me  very  uncomfortable  at  the  presence 
of  so  many  of  these  ugly  animals  ;  and,  after  I  had 
succeeded  in  driving  them  out  of  my  little  chamber,  I 
was  far  from  being  easy  in  my  mind.  I  felt  almost  cer- 
tain they  would  return  again,  and  perhaps  in  greater  force 
than  ever.  Perhaps  they  would  become  hungered  dur- 
ing the  voyage,  and  consequently  bolder  and  fiercer,  — 
bold  enough  to  attack  me.  Even  then,  I  thought  that 
they  had  appeared  by  no  means  afraid  of  me.  Though 
with  my  shouts  and  violent  efforts  I  had  forced  them 
out,  I  could  still  hear  them  near  at  hand,  scampering 
about  and  squeaking   to  one  another.      What  if  they 


232  THE    BOY   TAR. 

were  already  half  famished  and  meditating  an  attack 
upon  me  !  From  facts  that  I  had  heard  of,  the  thing 
was  not  very  improbable ;  and  I  need  hardly  say  that  the 
very  suspicion  of  such  a  probability  made  a  most  pain- 
ful impression  upon  me.  The  thought  of  being  killed 
and  devoured  by  these  horrid  creatures,  caused  within 
me  a  feeling  of  dread  far  greater  than  I  had  felt  when 
I  was  anticipating  death  by  being  drowned.  I  should 
have  preferred  drowning  to  a  death  like  that ;  and  when 
for  a  moment  I  dwelt  upon  the  probability  of  such  a 
fate,  the  blood  ran  coldly  through  my  veins,  and  the  hair 
seemed  to  stiffen  upon  my  scalp. 

For  some  minutes  I  sat  —  or  rather  knelt  —  (for  I 
was  upon  my  knees  while  striking  around  me  with  the 
jacket)  not  knowing  what  course  to  follow.  I  still  be- 
lieved that  the  rats  would  not  have  the  boldness  to 
approach  me,  so  long  as  I  remained  awake  and  could 
defend  myself.  But  how  would  it  be  were  I  to  go  to 
sleep  again  ?  Then,  indeed,  they  might  be  encouraged 
to  attack  me,  and  once  they  had  got  their  teeth  into  my 
flesh,  they  might  resemble  the  tiger,  who,  having  tasted 
blood,  is  not  satisfied  till  he  has  destroyed  his  victim. 
I  dared  not  go  to  sleep. 

And  yet  I  could  not  always  keep  awake.  Sleep  would 
in  time  overpower  me,  and  I  should  have  to  yield  to  it 
in  the  end.  The  longer  I  struggled  against  it,  the 
deeper  the  sleep  that  would  follow ;  and  perhaps  I 
might  fall  into  some  profound  slumber  from  which  I 
might  never  awake,  —  some  terrible  "  nightmare  "  that 
would  bind  me  beyond  the  power  of  moving,  and  thus 
render  me  an  easy  prey  to  the  voracious  monsters  that 
surrounded  me  ! 


THE   NORWAY   RAT.  233 

For  a  short  while  I  suffered  these  painful  apprehen- 
sions, but  soon  an  idea  came  into  my  mind  that  gave  me 
relief;  and  that  was,  to  replace  my  jacket  in  the  crevice 
through  which  the  rats  had  entered,  and  thus  shut  them 
out  altogether. 

It  was  certainly  a  very  simple  way  of  getting  over 
the  difficulty  ;  and,  no  doubt,  it  would  have  occurred  to 
me  sooner, — that  is,  when  the  first  and  second  rats 
had  been  troubling  me,  —  but  then  I  thought  there  were 
but  the  two,  and  I  might  settle  with  them  in  a  different 
way.  Now,  however,  the  case  was  different.  To  de- 
stroy all  the  rats  that  were  in  the  hold  of  that  ship 
would  be  a  serious  undertaking,  —  if  not  an  impossi- 
bility, —  and  I  no  longer  thought  of  such  a  thing.  The 
best  plan,  therefore,  would  be  that  which  I  had  now  hit 
upon :  to  stop  up  the  main  aperture,  —  and  also  every 
other  through  which  a  rat  could  possibly  squeeze  his 
body,  —  and  thus  be  at  once  secured  against  either  their 
intrusion  or  their  attacks. 

Without  further  delay,  I  "  plugged  "  up  the  crevice 
with  my  jacket ;  and,  wondering  that  I  had  not  thought 
of  this  simple  plan  before,  I  laid  me  down,  —  this  time 
with  a  full  confidence  that  I  might  sleep  undisturbed,  as 
long  as  I  should  feel  the  necessity  or  inclination. 


CHAPTER  XLL 


DREAM   AND    REALITY. 


So  wearied  had  I  become  with  fears  and  long  waking, 
that  my  cheek  had  scarce  touched  my  pillow,  before  I 
was  off  into  the  land  of  dreams.  And  not  the  land  of 
dreams  either,  for  it  was  the  sea  of  which  I  dreamt ; 
and,  just  as  before,  that  I  was  at  its  bottom,  and  sur- 
rounded by  horrid  crab-like  monsters  who  threatened  to 
eat  me  up. 

Now  and  then,  however,  these  crab-like  creatures 
assumed  the  form  of  rats  ;  and  then  my  dream  more 
resembled  reality.  I  dreamt  that  they  were  in  vast 
numbers  around  me,  and  menaced  me  from  every  side ; 
that  I  had  only  my  jacket  to  keep  them  off,  and  that  I 
was  sweeping  it  from  side  to  side  for  that  purpose.  I 
thought  they  grew  bolder  and  bolder  as  they  saw 
how  little  damage  I  was  able  to  do  them  with  such  a 
weapon  ;  and  that  a  very  large  rat,  —  much  bigger  than 
any  of  the  others,  —  was  encouraging  them  on  to  the 
attack.  This  was  not  a  real  rat,  but  the  ghost  of  one, 
—  of  that  one  I  had  killed  !  He  was  leading  the  swarm 
of  my  assailants,  and  counselling  them  to  avenge  his 
murder  !     Such  was  the  fancy  of  my  dream. 

I  thought  that,  for  a  long  time,  I  was  successful  in 


DREAM   AND   REALITY.  235 

keeping  them  at  bay ;  but  my  strength  was  fast  failing 
me,  and  unless  succor  arrived,  I  would  be  overpowered. 
I  looked  around  and  called  loudly  for  help,  but  no  one 
appeared  to  be  near  me. 

My  assailants  at  length  perceived  that  my  strength 
was  gone ;  and,  —  at  a  signal  given  by  their  ghost 
leader,  —  made  a  simultaneous  rush  upon  me.  They 
came  from  the  front,  from  behind,  from  both  sides,  and 
although  I  struck  around  me  in  a  last  despairing  effort, 
it  was  to  no  purpose.  Dozens  of  them  I  had  flung 
backward,  tumt)ling  upon  their  backs  and  over  one 
another,  but  their  places  were  instantly  filled  up  again 
by  others  that  came  from  behind. 

I  could  struggle  no  longer.  Resistance  was  idle.  I 
felt  them  crawling  up  my  legs,  my  thighs,  my  back. 
They  clung  to  me  all  over,  —  their  bodies  covering 
mine  like  a  swarm  of  bees  upon  a  branch  ;  and  before 
they  had  time  to  inflict  a  wound  upon  my  flesh,  their 
very  weight  caused  me  to  stagger,  and  fall  heavily  to 
the  earth  ! 

The  fall  appeared  to  save  me,  —  for  as  soon  as  I 
touched  ground  the  rats  let  go  their  hold  and  ran  scam- 
pering ofl",  —  as  if  frightened  at  the  effect  they  had 
produced  ! 

I  was  pleasantly  surprised  at  this  denouement,  and  for 
some  moments  was  unable  to  explain  it ;  but  my  senses 
soon  became  clearer  ;  and  I  was  rejoiced  to  find  that  the 
horror  I  had  been  experiencing  was  only  the  illusion  of 
a  dream ;  and  the  fall  which  I  had  suffered,  was  the 
breaking  up  of  the  vision  that  had  awakened  me  ! 

In  the  next  instant,  however,  I  changed  my  mind  ; 
and  my  new-sprung  joy  departed  as  suddenly  as  it  had 


236  THE   BOY   TAR. 

arisen.  It  was  not  all  a  dream.  Rats  had  been  upon 
me,  and  rats  were  at  that  moment  in  my  chamber!  I 
heard  them  scampering  about.  I  heard  their  ugly 
screeches  ;  and  before  I  could  raise  myself,  one  of  them 
ran  over  my  face  ! 

This  was  a  new  source  of  terror.  How  had  they  got 
in  ?  The  very  mystery  of  their  being  inside  was  of 
itself  enough  to  give  me  a  shock.  How  had  they  got 
there  ?  Had  they  pushed  out  the  jacket  ?  Mechani- 
cally, I  felt  for  it.  No.  It  was  there  in  its  place,  just 
as  I  had  left  it !  I  drew  it  out  for  the  purpose  of  strik- 
ing around  me,  to  drive  the  vermin  off.  I  struck  with  it 
and  shouted  as  I  had  done  before,  and  succeeded  in  clear- 
ing them  off;  but  I  was  now  in  greater  terror  than  ever, 
for  I  could  not  explain  how  they  were  able  thus  to  reach 
me,  notwithstanding  all  my  precautions. 

For  a  time,  I  was  sorely  perplexed,  but  I  found  the 
explanation  at  length.  It  was  not  through  the  crevice, 
I  had  stopped  with  the  jacket,  they  had  sought  entrance  ; 
but  by  another  aperture,  which  I  had  calked  with  a 
piece  of  cloth.  The  cloth  was  too  small,  —  it  had  been 
loose,  and  the  rats  had  actually  torn  it  out  with  their 
teeth ! 

This  accounted  for  their  gaining  an  entrance ;  but, 
at  the  same  time,  it  by  no  means  removed  my  alarm. 
On  the  contrary,  it  furnished  me  cause  for  increased 
anxiety.  Why  were  those  creatures  thus  pertinacious, 
—  returning  again  and  again  ?  What  wanted  they  in 
my  hiding-place,  more  than  in  any  other  part  of  the 
ship  ?     What  could  they  want,  but  to  kill  and  eat  me  ? 

Verily,  I  could  think  of  no  other  reason  why  I  was 
thus  assailed. 


DREAM   AND   REALITY.  237 

The  fear  of  such  a  consequence,  now  aroused  all  my 
energies.  I  had  not  been  asleep  more  than  an  hour,  — 
as  I  knew  by  my  watch ;  but  I  could  not  go  to  sleep 
again,  until  I  had  fully  secured  myself;  and  for  this 
purpose,  I  set  about  putting  my  fortress  in  a  more  prop- 
er state  of  defence.  I  removed  the  former  stuffings 
from  the  apertures,  one  by  one,  and  replaced  them  more 
firmly.  I  even  went  through  the  labor  of  taking  all 
the  biscuits  out  of  the  box,  and  drawing  forth  two  or 
three  fresh  pieces  of  cloth  to  help  me  in  my  "  calking." 
I  then  restored  the  biscuits  to  their  places,  and  closed 
up  every  aperture  that  existed.  I  had  the  greatest 
difficulty  upon  that  side  where  the  box  stood,  for  around 
it  there  were  many  ill-shaped  crevices  ;  but  I  got  over 
the  difficulty,  by  means  of  a  large  web  of  cloth,  which, 
when  placed  upon  its  end,  exactly  fitted  the  open  space, 
—  through  which  I  had  squeezed  my  own  carcass  on 
that  occasion,  when  I  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  set  my 
foot  aboard  the  ship.  On  this  side,  the  piece  of  cloth 
left  no  more  calking  to  be  done, — as  it  fitted  just 
tight  enough  to  prevent  any  living  creature  from  pass- 
ing beside  it.  The  only  disadvantage  it  offi3red  was, 
that  it  hindered  me  from  getting  conveniently  at  my 
store  of  biscuits,  —  for  it  covered  the  opening  in  the 
box,  —  but  I  thought  of  this  before  pushing  it  into  its 
place ;  and  carried  a  supply  of  the  biscuits  inside,  — 
enough  to  last  me  for  a  week  or  two.  When  these 
should  be  eaten,  I  could  remove  the  web ;  and,  before 
any  rats  could  come  in  to  trouble  me,  provide  myself 
for  another  week. 

It  occupied  me  full  two  hours,  in  completing  all  these 
arrangements,  —  for  I  worked  with  great  care  to  make 


238  THE    BOY    TAR. 

my  fortress  walls  secure.  It  was  no  play  I  was  per- 
forming. It  w^as  a  matter  that  possessed  the  serious 
interest  of  my  life's  safety. 

When  I  had  made  all  tight  to  my  perfect  satisfaction, 
I  lay  down  to  sleep  again,  —  this  time  quite  certain 
that  I  should  get  something  more  than  a  mere  "  cat- 
nap." 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


A    SOUND    SLEEP    AT    LAST. 


I  WAS  not  disappointed.  I  slept  for  a  period  of 
twelve  hours'  duration,  —  not  without  many  fearful 
dreams,  —  terrible  encounters  with  crabs  and  rats.  So 
far  as  the  comfort  of  the  thing  was  concerned,  I  might 
almost  as  well  have  been  awake,  and  actually  engaged 
in  such  conflicts.  My  sleep  was  far  from  refreshing, 
notwithstanding  its  long  continuance  ;  but  it  was  pleas- 
ant on  awaking  to  find  that  my  unwelcome  visitors  had 
not  been  back  again,  and  that  no  breach  had  been  made 
in  my  defences.  I  groped  all  around,  and  found  that 
everything  was  just  as  I  had  left  it. 

For  several  days,  I  felt  comparatively  at  my  ease.  I 
had  no  longer  any  apprehension  of  danger  from  the 
rats,  though  I  knew  they  were  still  close  to  me.  When 
the  weather  was  calm,  (and  it  continued  so  for  a  long 
while),  I  could  hear  the  animals  outside,  busy  at  what- 
ever they  had  to  do,  rattling  about  among  the  packages 
of  merchandise,  and  occasionally  uttering  spiteful  shrieks, 
as  if  they  were  engaged  in  combats  with  each  other. 
But  their  voices  no  longer  terrified  me,  as  I  was  pretty 
sure  they  could  not  get  nearer  me.  Whenever,  for  any 
purpose,  I  removed  one  of  the  cloth  pieces  with  which 


240  THE   BOY   TAR. 

my  little  cabin  was  "  chinked,"  I  took  good  care  to  re- 
turn it  to  its  place  again,  before  any  of  the  animals 
could  know  that  the  aperture  was  open. 

I  experienced  a  good  deal  of  discomfort  from  being 
thus  shut  up.  The  weather  was  exceedingly  warm ; 
and  as  not  a  breath  of  air  could  reach  me,  or  circulate 
through  the  apartment,  it  felt  at  times  as  hot  as  the  in- 
side of  a  baker's  oven.  Very  likely  we  were  sailing 
under  the  line,  or,  at  all  events,  in  some  part  of  the 
tropical  latitudes  ;  and  this  would  account  for  the  calm- 
ness of  the  atmosphere,  —  since,  in  these  latitudes, 
stormy  weather  is  much  more  rare  than  in  either  of  the 
so-called  temperate  zones.  Once,  indeed,  during  this 
time,  we  experienced  a  very  sharp  gale,  which  lasted 
for  a  day  and  night.  It  was  succeeded  as  usual  by  a 
heavy  swell,  —  during  which  the  ship  tumbled  about,  as 
if  she  would  turn  bottom  upwards. 

I  was  not  sea-sick  on  this  occasion ;  but,  as  I  had 
nothing  to  hold  on  by,  I  was  sadly  rolled  about  in  my 
little  cabin,  now  pitching  head  foremost  against  the  butt, 
now  falling  backward  upon  the  side  of  the  ship,  till 
every  bone  in  my  body  was  as  sore  as  if  I  had  been 
cudgelled  !  The  rocking  of  the  vessel,  too,  occasion- 
ally caused  the  boxes  and  barrels  to  move  a  little  ;  and 
this  had  the  effect  of  loosening  the  cloth  calking,  and 
causing  it  to  drop  out.  Still  apprehensive  of  an  inroad 
from  the  rats,  I  was  kept  busy,  all  the  time  the  gale 
lasted,  in  plugging  the  crevices  afresh. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  think  that  this  employment  was 
pleasanter  than  doing  nothing.  It  rather  helped  me  to 
pass  the  time  ;  and  the  two  days  during  which  the  gale 
and  swell  kept  me  so  occupied,  seemed  shorter  than  any 


A   SOUND    SLEEP   AT   LAST.  2.41 

other  two.  By  far  the  bitterest  hours,  were  those  in 
which  I  could  find  nothing  at  all  to  do,  —  absolutely 
nothing  to  engage  my  thoughts.  Then  I  would  remain 
for  long  hours  together,  —  sometimes  without  making  a 
motion,  or  changing  the  attitude  in  which  I  lay,  —  some- 
times without  even  having  a  thought;  and  thus  dark, 
and  lonely,  and  longing,  I  feared  that  my  reason  would 
forsake  me,  and  that  I  should  go  mad  ! 

In  this  way,  two  more  weeks  had  passed  over,  as  I 
knew  by  the  notches  on  my  stick.  Otherwise  they 
might  have  been  months,  —  ay,  years,  —  so  long  did 
the  time  appear.  With  the  exception  of  the  hours  in 
which  we  experienced  the  gale,  all  the  rest  was  complete 
monotony  ;  and  not  one  fact  or  occurrence  transpired  to 
make  an  impression  on  my  memory. 

During  all  this  time,  I  had  strictly  adhered  to  my 
regulation  regarding  food  and  drink.  Notwithstanding 
that  I  often  hungered,  and  could  have  eaten  up  a  week's 
allowance  at  a  single  meal,  I  had  not  exceeded  the  pre- 
scribed ration.  Many  a  time  it  cost  me  an  effort  to 
deny  myself;  and  often  the  half  biscuit,  which  was  to 
serve  for  another  meal,  was  put  aside  with  most  tardy 
reluctance,  and  seemed  to  cling  to  my  fingers,  as  I 
placed  it  on  the  little  shelf  But  I  congratulated  my- 
self that  up  to  this  time,  —  with  the  exception  of  that 
day  upon  which  I  had  eaten  the  four  biscuits  at  a  meal, 
—  I  had  been  able  to  keep  my  resolve,  and  contend 
bravely  against  the  craving  appetite  of  hunger. 

Thirsty  I  never  was.     I  had  no  uneasiness  on  this 

score.     My  ration  of  water  was  quite  enough  for  me,  and 

more  than  enough.     On  most  days  I  used  far  short  of 

the  allowance,  and  could  drink  as  much  as  I  wanted. 

11 


242  THE   BOY   TAR. 

The  supply  of  biscuits  I  had  brought  inside,  when 
shutting  myself  up  against  the  rats,  was  at  length 
exhausted.  I  was  glad  of  this.  It  proved  that  time 
was  passing  away,  —  two  weeks  must  have  elapsed,  as  I 
had  counted  the  biscuits  at  the  commencement  of  this 
period,  and  found  that  they  were  just  the  allowance  for 
so  long.  The  time,  then,  had  come  round  for  me  to  go 
back  to  my  larder,  and  procure  a  fresh  supply. 

As  I  proceeded  to  do  so,  a  singular  apprehension 
arose  in  my  mind.  It  came  suddenly,  as  if  an  arrow 
had  been  shot  into  my  heart.  It  ^vas  the  presentiment 
of  a  great  misfortune  ;  or  not  exactly  a  presentiment, 
but  a  fear  caused  by  something  I  had  noticed  only  the 
minute  beforjg.  I  had  heard  a  noise  outside,  which  as 
usual  I  attributed  to  my  neighbors  the  rats.  Often,  in- 
deed almost  continually,  similar  noises  had  proceeded 
from  without,  but  none  that  impressed  me  like  this,  for 
it  appeared  to  reach  me  from  a  new  direction,  —  the  di- 
rection of  the  biscuit-box. 

My  fingers  trembled  as  I  removed  the  web  ;  and  still 
more  as  I  thrust  my  hands  into  the  box.  Merciful 
heavens  !  the  box  was  empty  1 

No,  not  empty.  As  I  plunged  my  hand  deeper,  it 
rested  upon  something  soft  and  smooth,  —  a  rat.  The 
animal  sprang  suddenly  aside  as  it  felt  my  touch,  and 
I  drew  back  my  hand  with  a  like  rapid  movement. 
Mechanically  I  felt  in  another  place,  —  only  to  touch 
another  rat,  and  then  another,  and  another !  The  box 
appeared  half  full  of  them,  side  by  side,  as  close  as 
they  could  sit.  They  leaped  about  and  scattered  oflf 
in  different  directions,  —  some  even  jumping  against 
my  breast,  as   they  shot  out  by  the   aperture,  ^ —  and 


A  SOUI^D  SLEEP  AT  LAST.         243 

others  striking  the  sides  of  the  box,  and  uttering  loud 
cries. 

I  succeeded  in  routing  them.  But,  alas !  when  they 
were  gone,  and  I  proceeded  to  examine  my  store,  I 
found,  to  my  chagrin,  that  nearly  the  whole  of  my  bis- 
cuits were  gone  too  !  All  of  them  that  were  left  were 
broken  to  pieces,  and  nothing  remained  in  the  box, 
but  a  pile  of  crumbs  covering  the  bottom,  upon  which 
the  rats  had  been  feeding  at  the  moment  I  surprised 
them. 

This  was  an  evil  of  the  grandest  magnitude  ;  and  I 
was  so  overwhelmed  upon  the  discovery  of  it,  that  for  a 
time  I  scarce  knew  what  I  was  doing. 

The  consequences  were  plain  enough.  My  provis- 
ions were  gone,  —  starvation  stared  me  in  the  face. 
Nay,  starvation  was  no  longer  a  matter  of  doubt.  It 
was  now  certain.  The  mumbled  crumbs  which  the 
hideous  robbers  had  left,  (and  which  they  would  also 
have  eaten  up  in  another  hour,  had  I  not  surprised 
them,)  would  not  keep  the  life  in  me  for  a  week; 
and  what  then  ?  ay,  what  then  !  Starvation,  —  death 
by  hunger ! 

There  was  no  alternative.  So  reasoned  I,  and  how 
could  it  be  otherwise  ? 

For  a  while,  I  felt  reckless  and  despairing,  —  almost 
reckless  enough  to  refrain  from  taking  any  steps  to  hin- 
der the  rats  from  returning  to  the  box.  It  was  my 
belief,  that  I  must  in  the  end  succumb  to  this  misfor- 
tune, —  must  starve,  —  and  it  was  no  use  procrastinating 
ray  fate.  I  might  as  well  die  at  once,  as  at  the  end  of 
the  week.  To  live  for  days,  knowing  that  death  was 
certain,  would  be  a  terrible  state  of  endurance,  —  worse 


244  THE   BOY   TAR. 

than  death  itself;  and  here  again  returned  to  me  those 
dark  suicidal  thoughts,  that  had  once  before  passed 
through  my  mind. 

They  troubled  me  only  for  a  moment.  The  remem- 
brance that  I  had  had  them  before,  and  that  then  I  had 
been  delivered  from  them,  —  as  it  were  miraculously, 
—  that  although  I  could  not  see  how  it  was  to  be  found, 
there  might  still  be  a  way  of  escape,  —  the  hand  of 
Providence,  as  it  had  done  already,  might  still  be  held 
over  me,  and  point  out  that  way,  —  these  reflections  and 
remembrances  came  back  into  my  mind,  and  once  more 
a  ray  of  hope  shone  upon  my  future.  True,  there  was 
no  definite  hope,  but  just  enough  to  arouse  me  to  fresh 
energy,  and  save  me  from  absolute  despair.  The  pres- 
ence of  the  rats,  too,  had  an  effect  in  quickening  my 
actions.  I  perceived  that  they  were  still  close  at  hand, 
threatening  to  reenter  the  box  and  finish  their  work  of 
demolition.  In  truth,  I  could  now  only  keep  them  out 
by  making  the  most  violent  demonstrations. 

I  found  that  the  place  where  they  had  got  in  was  not 
the  aperture  which  I  myself  used.  That  was  closed  up 
with  the  web,  and  they  could  not  pass  through  there. 
They  had  entered  on  the  opposite  side,  from  the  box  of 
cloth,  —  into  which  they  had  been  able  to  make  their 
way,  since  I  had  myself  removed  one  of  the  boards  out 
of  its  side.  It  had  all  been  done  recently ;  or,  more 
likely,  to  cut  through  the  thick  plank  had  employed 
them  for  some  time,  and  so  delayed  the  execution  of 
their  design.  But  for  this,  they  might  have  reached 
the  inside  sooner,  and  then  not  a  morsel  would  have 
been  left.  No  doubt  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
at  the  biscuits  that  they  had  swarmed  once  or  twice 


A   SOUND    SLEEP   AT   LAST.  245 

into  my  chamber,  —  for  that  gave  them  free  access  to 
the  box. 

I  now  deeply  regretted  my  negligence  in  not  securing 
my  store  in  a  safe  way.  I  had  already  thought  of  doing 
so,  but  I  never  imagined  these  creatures  could  make  an 
entry  from  behind,  and  I  knew  that  the  web  of  cloth 
completely  shut  them  out  on  the  inside. 

Alas  !  it  was  now  too  late  ;  regrets  were  idle  ;  and, 
following  out  that  instinct  which  prompts  us  to  preserve 
life  as  long  as  we  can,  I  transferred  the  fragments  from 
the  box  to  my  little  shelf  inside  ;  and  then,  making  all 
tight  as  before,  I  lay  down  to  reflect  upon  my  situation, 
rendered  gloomier  than  ever  by  this  unexpected  mis- 
fortune. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

SEARCH   AFTER    ANOTHER   BISCUIT-BOX. 

For  many  hours  I  remained  brooding  over  the  al- 
tered state  of  my  affairs,  with  no  thought  arising  to 
cheer  me.  I  felt  so  hopeless  that  I  did  not  even  take 
stock  of  the  biscuits,  or  rather  the  crumbs  that  were  left. 
I  guessed  roughly  by  the  size  of  the  little  heap  that  it 
might  sustain  life,  —  keeping  up  the  very  small  ration  I 
had  been  hitherto  using,  —  for  about  ten  days,  —  not 
more.  Ten  days,  then,  —  or  at  most  a  fortniglit,  —  had 
I  to  live,  with  the  prospect  of  certain  death  at  the  end 
of  that  time,  —  and  a  death  that  experience  told  me 
must  be  slow  and  painful.  I  had  already  suffered  the 
extreme  of  hunger,  —  almost  to  death,  —  and  I  dreaded 
to  try  it  again  ;  but  there  appeared  no  hope  of  escaping 
from  such  a  doom,  —  at  least,  none  appeared  at  the 
moment. 

The  shock  that  followed  the  discovery  of  my  loss, 
rendered  me  for  a  long  time  unable  to  think  clearly. 
My  mind  was  dejected  and  pusillanimous,  —  my  brain, 
as  it  were,  paralyzed,  —  so  that  whenever  I  took  to 
thinking,  my  thoughts  only  wandered,  or  centred  on  the 
terrible  doom  that  awaited  me. 

In  time  a  reaction  arrived,  and  I  was  better  able  to 


SEARCH   AFTER   ANOTHER   BISCUIT-BOX.        247 

reflect  on  the  circumstances  in  which  I  was  now  placed. 
Gradually  hope  dawned  again,  though  it  was  only  of  an 
indistinct  and  very  indefinite  character,  —  literally  but  a 
"  ray."  The  thought  that  occurred  to  me  was  simply 
this  :  that  as  I  had  found  one  box  of  biscuits,  why 
might  there  not  be  a  second?  If  not  immediately  be- 
side the  first,  it  might  be  near.  As  stated  already,  I 
believed  that  in  the  stowage  of  a  ship,  goods  of  the  same 
kind  are  not  always  placed  together,  but  miscellane- 
ously,—  just  as  the  different  packages  may  fit  to  the 
shape  of  the  hold  and  to  each  other.  I  had  proof  that 
this  was  the  usual  arrangement,  since  around  me,  and  in 
juxtaposition,  were  articles  of  very  different  kinds,  — 
biscuits,  broadcloth,  brandy,  and  the  butt  of  water.  Al- 
though there  was  no  second  box  of  biscuits  immedi- 
ately adjoining  the  one  already  emptied,  there  might  be 
another  not  far  off,  —  perhaps  just  on  the  other  side  of 
the  cloth-box,  or  in  some  place  where  I  might  be  able 
to  get  at  it. 

This,  then,  was  the  thought  that  inspired  me  with 
new  hope. 

As  soon  as  I  had  conceived  it,  all  my  energies  re- 
turned, and  I  set  about  reflecting  on  what  course  I 
should  take  to  ascertain  whether  there  was  another  bis- 
cuit-box that  it  was  possible  for  me  to  reach. 

The  plan  of  reaching  it  was  already  shaped  out  in 
my  mind.  In  fact,  there  was  but  one  way,  —  with  my 
knife.  No  other  means  were  within  my  reach,  and 
therefore  I  thought  of  none.  To  cut  a  way  with  my 
knife  through  such  packages  —  boxes,  bales,  or  barrels 
—  as  might  lie  between  my  chamber  and  the  desired 
biscuits,  was  the  idea  that  had  entered  my  mind,  and  it 


248  THE    BOY    TAR. 

seemed  more  feasible  and  practicable  the  longei  I  re- 
flected upon  it.  Deeds  that  would  appear  difficult,  if 
not  impossible,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  present  a 
different  aspect  to  one  whose  life  is  in  danger,  and  who 
knows  it  may  be  saved  by  accomplishing  them.  The 
direst  hardships,  and  severest  privations,  become  light 
trials  when  life  and  death  are  on  the  issue. 

It  was  from  this  point  of  view  that  I  was  compelled 
to  contemplate  the  feat  I  now  intended  to  perform ;  and 
I  thought  but  lightly  of  the  time  and  trouble,  so  long  as 
there  was  a  prospect  of  their  saving  me  from  horrid 
death  by  starvation. 

I  resolved,  therefore,  to  hew  a  way  with  my  knife 
among  the  packages  of  merchandise,  in  hopes  of  com- 
ing to  one  that  contained  food.  If  successful,  then  I 
should  live,  —  if  not,  I  must  die.  Another  thought 
had  some  effect  in  encouraging  me  to  the  attempt.  It 
would  be  better  for  me  to  pass  my  time  still  hoping, 
than  to  yield  to  despair  and  remain  idle.  To  live  for 
two  weeks  in  the  certain  anticipation  of  death,  would 
have  been  a  thousand  times  more  painful  than  death 
itself 

Far  better  to  struggle  on,  nourishing  hope  with  the 
exertions  I  should  be  making  for  my  safety.  The  very 
labor  itself  would  help  me  to  pass  the  time,  and  hinder 
me  from  brooding  too  keenly  on  my  doubtful  fate. 

Thus  ran  my  reflections,  as  I  became  once  more 
roused  to  the  energy  that  for  a  while  had  forsaken  me. 

I  was  on  my  knees,  knife  in  hand,  resolved  and  ready. 
That  precious  piece  of  steel,  how  prized  at  the  moment ! 
I  would  not  have  exchanged  it  for  the  full  of  the  ship 
of  red  gold ! 


SEARCH   AFTER   ANOTHER   BISCUIT-BOX.        249 

I  have  said  that  I  was  upon  mj  knees.  I  could  not 
lave  stood  erect,  had  I  wished  it.  There  was  not  room. 
The  ceiling  of  my  cabin  was  too  low. 

Was  it  my  peculiar  attitude  that  suggested  the 
thought  ?  Perhaps  it  had  some  influence.  I  cannot 
now  remember  ;  but  I  well  remember  that  before  pro- 
ceeding farther  in  my  design,  I  offered  up  a  prayer,  — 
humble  and  earnest,  —  to  God,  who  had  already,  as  I 
firmly  believed,  stretched  forth  his  hand  to  succor  me. 
I  prayed  for  guidance,  for  strength,  for  success.  I  need 
not  add  that  my  prayer  was  heard,  else  I  should  not 
now  have  been  living  to  record  it. 

My  intention  was  first  to  work  through  the  cloth-boXj 
and  discover  what  was  behind  it.  That  which  had  con- 
tained the  biscuits  was  now  empty,  and  I  could  get 
through  it  without  trouble.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
I  had  already  been  inside  the  biscuit-box  while  search- 
ing for  another,  and  also  while  procuring  the  pieces  of 
cloth  ;  and  so  far  my  way  was  clear.  But  to  get  across 
the  one  in  which  the  broadcloth  was  packed,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  pull  out  several  more  pieces,  to  give  me 
room  to  work  on  to  the  next.  My  knife,  therefore, 
would  not  be  needed  at  first  starting ;  and  putting  it 
aside,  where  I  could  easily  lay  my  hands  upon  it  again, 
I  ducked  my  head  and  crawled  into  the  empty  box.  In 
another  minute  I  was  pulling  and  tugging  away  at  the 
stiff"  rolls  of  broadcloth,  —  all  my  strength  being  ex- 
erted, and  all  my  energies  employed,  in  detaching  them 
from  their  places. 


11* 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 


THE    CRUMBS    SECTJEED. 


This  was  a  work  that  cost  me  both  time  and  labor ; 
much  more  than  you  might  imagine.  No  doubt  the 
cloth  had  been  packed  with  the  idea  of  economizing 
space,  and  the  pieces  were  wedged  as  tightly  together 
as  if  done  by  a  steam-press.  Those  opposite  the  open- 
ing I  had  made,  came  out  easily  enough ;  but  with  the 
others  I  had  more  trouble.  It  took  all  my  strength  to 
detach  many  of  them  from  their  places.  When  a  few 
were  removed,  the  work  became  easier.  There  were 
several  rolls  larger  than  the  rest.  They  were  larger, 
because  they  were  of  coarser  cloth.  They  were  too 
big  to  pass  through  the  apertures  I  had  made,  either  the 
one  in  the  cloth-case,  or  that  in  the  side  of  the  biscuit- 
box.  I  was  puzzled  how  to  deal  with  them.  I  could 
not  enlarge  the  openings  without  a  great  deal  of  labor. 
On  account  of  the  situation  of  the  two  boxes,  it  was 
not  possible  to  knock  off  another  board.  I  should  have 
to  cut  the  hole  wider  with  my  knife ;  and  this,  for  the 
same  reason,  would  have  been  difficult. 

A  better  plan  suggested  itself,  —  apparently  a  better, 
but  which  in  the  end  proved  a  mistake.  I  managed  the 
matter  by  cutting  off  the  fastenings  of  each  piece,  and 


THE   CRUMBS    SECURED.  251 

laying  hold  of  the  end  of  the  web,  unrolled  it.  I  then 
drew  out  the  loose  cloth  until  the  web  became  small 
enough  to  pass  through.  In  this  way  I  succeeded  in 
emptying  the  case,  but  the  work  kept  me  employed  for 
several  hours. 

I  was  delayed,  moreover,  by  a  more  serious  interrup- 
tion. On  returning  to  my  chamber,  with  the  first  piece 
of  cloth  which  I  had  drawn  out  of  the  box,  I  found,  to 
my  consternation,  that  it  was  already  occupied  by  other 
tenants,  —  a  score  of  them  :  the  rats  were  in  possession  ! 

I  dropped  the  piece  of  cloth  ;  and,  dashing  into  their 
midst,  succeeded  in  routing  them  ;  but,  as  I  had  antici- 
pated from  their  presence,  I  found  that  another  portion 
of  my  wretched  store  of  provisions  was  eaten  or  carried 
off.  Not  a  great  deal,  however,  appeared  to  have  been 
taken.  Fortunately,  I  had  been  absent  only  for  a  short 
while.  Had  I  been  gone  for  but  another  twenty  min- 
utes, the  robbers  would  have  quite  cleared  me  out,  and 
left  me  not  a  crumb  to  live  upon. 

The  consequence  of  this  would  have  been  fatal ;  and 
once  more  deploring  my  negligence,  I  resolved  to  take 
better  care  for  the  future.  I  spread  out  a  large  piece 
of  the  cloth,  and  depositing  the  fragments  upon  it,  I 
wrapped  them  up  into  a  sort  of  bag-like  bundle,  which 
I  tied  as  firmly  as  I  could  with  a  strip  of  list  torn  from 
the  cloth  itself.  This,  I  fancied,  would  keep  all  safe  ; 
and  placing  it  in  a  corner,  I  proceeded  with  my  work. 

As  I  passed  to  and  fro  upon  my  hands  and  knees,  — 
now  empty-handed,  now  dragging  with  me  a  piece  of 
the  cloth,  —  I  might  have  been  likened  to  an  ant  crawl 
ing  upon  its  track,  and  laying  in  its  stores  for  the  winter ; 
and  during  many  hours  I  was  kept  as  busy  as  an  ant 


252  THE   BOY   TAR. 

might  be.  The  weather  still  continued  calm,  but  the 
atmosphere  appeared  hotter  than  I  had  yet  felt  it,  and 
the  perspiration  ran  from  every  pore  of  my  skin.  1 
was  often  obliged  to  use  a  loose  piece  of  the  broadcloth 
to  wipe  the  drops  from  my  forehead  and  out  of  my 
eyes ;  and  at  times  it  appeared  as  if  the  heat  would 
suffocate  me.  But  with  such  a  motive  as  I  had  for  per- 
severance, I  continued  to  toil  on,  without  thought  of 
resting  for  a  moment. 

All  the  while  I  was  conscious  of  the  presence  of  the 
rats.  They  appeared  to  be  everywhere  around  me,  — 
in  the  crevices  between  the  casks  and  boxes,  which  they 
used  as  so  many  ways  and  paths.  They  met  me  in  my 
own  particular  gallery,  crossing  or  running  before  me, 
and  sometimes  I  felt  them  behind  me  coursing  over  my 
legs.  Singular  enough,  I  was  less  afraid  of  them  than 
formerly.  This  partially  arose  from  my  observance  of 
the  fact,  that  it  was  the  biscuit-box  that  had  brought 
them  in  such  numbers  into  my  chamber,  and  not  me. 
At  first  I  was  under  the  impression  that  they  had  come 
there  to  assail  myself,  but  I  now  thought  differently,  and 
felt  less  apprehension  of  their  attacking  me.  I  no  longer 
dreaded  them  while  awake ;  but  for  all  that,  I  could  not 
have  gone  to  sleep  —  nor  did  I  intend  to  do  so  again  — 
without  first  securing  myself  against  their  attacks. 

Another  reason  there  was  why  I  feared  them  less. 
My  situation  had  grown  more  desperate,  and  the  neces- 
sity for  action  so  apparent,  that  all  lesser  dangers  had 
given  way  to  the  greater  one  that  threatened  me,  —  the 
danger  of  starvation. 

Having  finished  emptying  the  cloth-case  of  its  con- 
tents, I  resolved  to    rest    a    bit,  and   refresh    myself 


THE    CRUMBS    SECURED.  253 

with  a  scanty  ration  of  crumbs  and  a  cup  of  water. 
During  the  whole  time  I  was  engaged  in  unpacking,  I 
had  not  left  off,  even  to  take  a  drink,  and  I  was  now 
thirsty  enough  to  drink  quarts.  As  I  had  no  fear  that 
my  water  supply  would  run  short,  I  now  opened  the  tap 
and  drank  to  my  satisfaction.  I  must  have  lowered  the 
water-line  very  considerably,  before  I  could  drag  my- 
self away  from  the  butt.  The  precious  fluid  seemed 
sweeter  than  honey  itself;  and  after  drinking,  I  felt 
as  though  it  had  reinvigorated  me  to  the  tips  of  my 
fingers. 

I  now  turned  to  my  stock  of  food,  but  another  cry  of 
chagrin  escaped  me  as  I  laid  my  hands  upon  the  bundle. 
The  rats  again  !  Yes,  —  I  found  to  my  astonishment, 
that  these  persevering  robbers  had  been  back  again,  had 
gnawed  a  hole  through  the  cloth,  and  abstracted  another 
portion  from  my  now  greatly  reduced  store  !  A  pound 
at  least  of  the  precious  crumbs  had  been  taken,  and 
this  must  have  been  done  within  a  few  minutes'  time ; 
for,  only  a  few  minutes  before,  I  had  occasion  to  move 
the  bundle,  and  I  had  then  observed  that  there  was 
nothing  amiss. 

The  discovery  of  this  new  misfortune  caused  me 
fresh  misery  and  vexation.  I  saw  that  if  I  left  the  bis- 
cuit-bag behind  me,  —  even  for  the  shortest  space  of 
time,  —  I  might  expect  on  my  return  to  find  every 
crumb  gone  out  of  it. 

Already  I  had  lost  nearly  half  of  what  I  had  taken 
from  the  box,  and  which  I  had  calculated  might  keep 
me  alive  for  a  period  of  ten  or  twelve  days.  This  cal- 
culation included  everything,  even  to  the  dust,  which  I 
had  carefully  gathered  up  from  the  boards  ;  and  now, 


254  THE   BOY   TAR. 

on  reexamining  what  remained,  I  perceived  that  there 
was  not  enough  to  sustain  me  for  a  week  ! 

This  discovery  added  to  the  gloom  of  my  situation ; 
but  I  did  not  suffer  it  to  bring  despair.  I  resolved  to 
proceed  with  my  design,  as  if  no  new  misfortune  had  hap- 
pened, —  for  the  further  reduction  of  my  stores  rendered 
both  energy  and  perseverance  more  necessary  than  ever. 

I  could  not  think  of  any  way  of  securing  my  crumbs, 
except  by  taking  the  bag  along  with  me  and  keeping  it 
by  my  side.  I  might  have  folded  more  cloth  around 
them,  but  I  was  impressed  with  the  belief  that  these 
vermin  would  have  gnawed  their  way  to  my  crumbs 
had  I  placed  them  in  a  box  of  iron. 

To  make  safe,  therefore,  I  tied  up  the  hole  that 
had  been  cut  in  the  cloth  ;  and,  dragging  the  bundle 
after  me,  I  took  it  into  the  cloth-case,  determined  to 
defend  it  against  all  comers. 

Having  deposited  it  between  my  knees,  I  once  more 
set  to  work  with  my  knife  to  tunnel  through  the  side  of 
the  adjacent  box. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 


ANOTHER    BITE. 


Before  proceeding  to  use  the  knife,  I  had  endeav 
ored  to  burst  one  of  the  boards  outward,  —  first  by 
pressing  upon  it  with  mj  hands.  Finding  I  could  not 
move  it  in  this  waj,  I  lay  down  upon  my  back,  and 
tried  it  with  my  heels.  I  even  put  on  my  old  buskins 
in  hopes  of  being  able  to  hich  it  out ;  but,  after  thump- 
ing at  it  for  a  considerable  time,  I  saw  it  would  not  do. 
It  was  too  securely  nailed,  and,  as  I  found  out  after- 
wards, it  was  still  more  strongly  secured  with  strips  of 
iron  hooping,  which  would  have  resisted  a  stronger  effort 
than  any  I  could  make.  My  kicks  and  thumps,  there- 
fore, were  all  given  to  no  purpose ;  and  as  soon  as  I 
became  convinced  of  this,  I  went  to  work  with  my  knife. 

I  designed  cutting  across  one  of  the  boards  near  the 
end,  —  and  only  at  one  end,  as  I  could  then  force  the 
piece  out,  no  matter  how  securely  it  might  be  clasped  at 
the  other. 

The  timber  was  not  very  hard,  being  only  common 
spruce  deal,  and  I  could  soon  have  made  a  cross-cut  of 
the  whole  piece,  —  even  with  no  better  tool  than  my 
knife,  —  if  I  had  been  in  a  proper  attitude,  with  the 
box  fairly  before   me.      But   instead   of   that,  I  was 


256  THE   BOY   TAR. 

obliged  to  operate  in  a  constrained  position,  that  was 
both  disadvantageous  and  fatiguing.  Moreover,  my 
hand  was  still  painful  from  the  bite  of  the  rat,  —  the 
scar  not  yet  being  closed  up.  The  troubles  I  had  been 
enduring,  had  kept  my  blood  in  a  constant  fever,  and 
this,  I  suppose,  had  prevented  the  healing  of  the  wound. 
Unfortunately,  it  was  my  right  hand  that  had  been 
bitten  ;  and,  being  right-handed,  I  could  not  manage 
the  knife  with  my  left.  I  tried  it  at  times,  to  relieve 
the  other,  but  could  make  little  progress  at  left-hand 
work. 

For  these  reasons,  then,  I  was  several  hours  in  cut- 
ting across  a  piece  of  nine-inch  deal  of  only  an  inch  in 
thickness ;  but  I  got  through  at  last,  and  then,  placing 
myself  once  more  on  my  back,  and  setting  my  heels  to 
the  plank,  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  feel  it  yielding. 

It  did  not  move  a  great  way,  and  I  could  perceive 
that  there  was  something  hindering  it  behind,  —  either 
another  box  or  a  barrel,  —  but  this  was  exactly  what  I 
had  expected.  Only  two  or  three  inches  of  empty  space 
were  between  the  two,  and  it  required  a  good  deal  of 
kicking,  and  twisting  backward  and  forward,  and  up- 
w^ard  and  downward,  before  I  could  detach  the  piece 
from  its  fastenings  of  iron. 

Before  I  had  got  it  quite  out  of  my  way,  I  knew 
what  was  behind,  for  I  had  passed  my  fingers  through 
to  ascertain.  It  was  another  packing-case,  and,  alas ! 
too  similar  to  the  one  I  was  crouching  in.  The  same 
kind  of  timber,  if  my  touch  was  true,  — .and  this  one 
of   my  senses  had  of  late  become  wonderfully  acute. 

I  felt  its  outline,  —  as  much  of  it  as  I  could  reach ; 
the  same  size  it  appeared  to  be,  —  the  same  rough,  un- 


ANOTHER   BITE.  257 

planed  plank,  — just  like  that  I  had  been  cutting  at,  — 
and  both,  as  I  now  perceived,  iron  hooped  at  the  ends. 
Beyond  doubt,  it  was  "  another  of  the  same." 

I  came  to  this  conclusion  without  proceeding  farther, 
and  it  was  a  conclusion  that  filled  me  with  chagrin  and 
disappointment.  But  although  I  felt  too  bitterly  satis- 
fied that  it  was  another  cloth-box,  I  deemed  it  worth 
while  to  put  the  matter  beyond  any  doubt.  To  effect 
this,  I  proceeded  to  take  out  one  of  the  pieces  of  the 
second  box,  just  as  I  had  done  with  the  other,  —  by 
making  a  clear  cut  across,  —  and  then  prizing  it  out, 
and  drawing  it  towards  me.  It  cost  me  even  more 
labor  than  the  first,  for  I  could  not  get  at  it  so  well ; 
besides,  I  had  to  widen  the  aperture  in  the  other,  before 
I  could  reach  the  joining  between  two  pieces.  The 
widening  was  not  so  difficult,  as  the  soft  plank  split  off 
readily  under  the  blade  of  my  knife. 

I  worked  cheerlessly  at  this  second  box,  —  as  I 
worked  without  hope.  I  might  have  spared  myself  the 
pains  ;  for  during  the  operation  the  blade  of  my  knife 
frequently  came  in  contact  with  what  was  inside,  and  I 
knew  from  the  soft  dull  object  which  resisted  the  steel 
with  elastic  silence,  that  I  was  coming  upon  cloth.  I 
might  have  spared  myself  any  further  labor,  but  a  kind 
of  involuntary  curiosity  influenced  me  to  go  on,  —  that 
curiosity  which  refuses  to  be  satisfied  until  demonstra- 
tion is  complete  and  certain  ;  and,  thus  impelled,  I 
hewed  away  mechanically,  till  I  had  reached  the  com- 
pletion of  the  task. 

The  result  was  as  I  had  expected,  —  the  contents 
were  cloth  ! 

The  knife  dropped  from  my  grasp  ;  and,  overcome,  — 


258  THE   BOY   TAR. 

as  raucli  by  fatigue  as  by  the  faintness  produced  by  dis- 
appointment, —  I  fell  backward,  and  lay  for  some  min 
utes  in  a  state  of  partial  insensibility. 

This  lethargy  of  despair  continued  upon  me  for  some 
time,  —  I  noted  not  how  long ;  but  I  was  at  length 
aroused  from  it  by  an  acute  pain,  which  I  felt  in  the 
tip  of  my  middle  finger.  It  was  sudden  as  acute,  and 
resembled  the  pricking  of  a  needle,  or  a  sharp  cut  with 
the  blade  of  a  knife. 

I  started  suddenly  up,  thinking  I  had  caught  hold  of 
my  knife,  —  while  half  conscious  of  what  I  was  doing, 
—  for  I  remembered  that  I  had  thrown  it  with  open 
blade  beside  me. 

In  a  second  or  two,  however,  I  was  convinced  that  it 
was  not  that  which  had  caused  me  the  pain.  It  was  not 
a  wound  made  with  cold  steel,  but  with  the  venomous 
tooth  of  a  living  creature.     I  had  been  bitten  by  a  rat ! 

My  lethargic  indifference  to  my  situation  soon  passed 
away,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  keen  sense  of  fear.  I 
was  now  convinced,  more  than  ever,  that  my  life  was  in 
danger  from  these  hideous  animals  ;  for  this  was  the  first 
actual  attempt  they  had  made  upon  my  person  without 
provocation.  i  Although  my  sudden  movement,  and  the 
loud  cries  I  involuntarily  uttered,  had  once  more  driven 
them  off,  I  felt  satisfied  they  would  become  bolder  anon, 
and  take  no  heed  of  such  idle  demonstrations.  I  had 
threatened  them  too  often,  without  making  them  feel  my 
power  to  punish  them. 

Clearly  it  would  not  do  to  go  to  sleep  again,  with  my 
person  exposed  to  their  attacks ;  for  although  my  hopes 
of  ultimate  deliverance  were  now  sadly  diminished,  and 
in  all  likelihood  starvation  was  to  be  my  fate,  —  still 


ANOTHER   BITE.  259 

this  kind  of  death  was  preferable  to  being  eaten  up  by 
rats.  The  very  thought  of  such  a  fate  filled  me  with 
horror,  and  determined  me  to  do  all  in  my  power  to 
save  myself  from  so  fearful  a  doom. 

I  was  now  very  tired,  and  required  rest.  The  box  was 
large  enough  for  me  to  have  slept  within  it,  stretched  at 
full  length  ;  but  I  thought  I  could  more  easily  defend 
myself  against  the  encroachments  of  the  rats  in  my  old 
quarters  ;  and,  taking  up  my  knife  and  bundle,  I  crawled 
back  behind  the  butt. 

My  little  chamber  was  now  of  much  smaller  dimen- 
sions, for  in  it  I  had  stowed  the  cloth  taken  from  the 
box.  In  fact,  there  was  just  room  enough  for  my  body 
and  the  bag  of  crumbs,  —  so  that  it  was  more  like  a 
nest  than  an  apartment. 

With  the  pieces  of  cloth  piled  in  one  end  against  the 
brandy-cask,  I  was  well  defended  in  that  quarter,  and  it 
only  remained  to  close  up  the  other  end  as  I  had  done 
before.  This  I  accomplished ;  and  then,  after  eating 
my  slender  supper,  and  washing  it  down  with  copious 
libations,  I  sought  the  repose,  both  of  body  and  mind, 
of  which  I  stood  in  such  need. 


:^ 


CHAPTER  XLVL 

THE   BALE    OF   LINEN. 

My  sleep  was  neither  very  sweet  nor  very  sound.  In 
addition  to  my  gloomy  prospects,  I  was  rendered  un- 
comfortable by  the  hot  atmosphere,  —  now  closer  than 
ever,  in  consequence  of  the  stoppage  of  every  aperture. 
No  current  of  air,  that  might  otherwise  have  cooled  me, 
was  permitted  to  reach  my  prison,  and  I  might  almost 
as  well  have  been  inside  a  heated  oven.  I  got  a  little 
sleep,  however,  and  with  that  little  I  was  under  the 
necessity  of  being  satisfied. 

When  fairly  awake  again,  I  treated  myself  to  a  meal, 
which  might  be  called  my  breakfast;  but  it  was  cer- 
tainly the  lightest  of  all  breakfasts,  and  did  not  deserve 
the  name.  Of  water  I  again  drank  freely,  for  I  was 
thirsty  with  the  fever  that  was  in  my  blood,  and  my 
head  ached  as  if  it  would  split  open. 

All  this  did  not  deter  me  from  returning  to  my  work. 
If  two  boxes  contained  broadcloth,  it  did  not  follow  that 
all  the  cargo  was  of  this  sort  of  merchandise,  and  I  re- 
solved to  persevere.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  try  in 
a  new  direction, —  that  is,  to  tunnel  through  the  end  of 
the  packing-case  as  I  had  done  through  its  side,  —  the 
end  which  was  turned  towards  the  outside,  —  for  I  knew 


THE   BALE    OF   LINEN.  261 

that  the  other  rested  against  the  side  of  the  ship,  and 
it  would  be  no  use  searching  in  that  direction. 

Taking  my  bread-bag  with  me  as  before,  I  went  to 
work  with  renewed  hope,  and  after  long  and  severe 
labor,  —  severe  on  account  of  the  crouching  attitude  I 
had  to  keep,  as  also  from  the  pain  caused  by  my  wound- 
ed thumb,  —  I  succeeded  in  detaching  one  of  the  end 
pieces  from  its  place. 

Something  soft  lay  beyond.  There  was  encourage- 
ment even  in  this.  At  all  events,  it  was  not  another 
case  of  broadcloth ;  but  what  it  was,  I  could  not  guess, 
until  I  had  laid  bare  the  full  breadth  of  the  board. 
Then  my  hands  were  eagerly  passed  through  the  aper- 
ture, and  with  trembling  fingers  I  examined  this  new 
object  of  interest.  Coarse  canvas  it  appeared  to  the 
touch ;  but  that  was  only  the  covering.  What  was 
there  inside  ? 

Until  I  had  taken  up  my  knife  again,  and  cut  off  a 
portion  of  the  canvas,  I  knew  not  what  it  was  ;  but 
then,  to  my  bitter  disappointment,  the  real  nature  of  the 
package  was  revealed. 

It  proved  to  be  linen,  —  a  bale  of  fine  linen,  packed 
in  pieces,  just  as  the  cloth  had  been ;  but  so  tight  that 
if  I  had  used  all  my  strength  I  could  not  have  detached 
one  piece  from  the  bale. 

The  discovery  of  what  it  was  caused  me  greater 
chagrin  than  if  it  had  proved  to  be  broadcloth.  This  I 
could  take  out  with  less  difiiculty,  and  make  way  to  try 
farther  on  ;  but  with  the  linen  I  could  do  nothing,  —  for, 
after  several  attempts,  I  was  unable  to  move  any  of  the 
pieces,  and  as  to  cutting  a  way  through  them,  a  wall  of 
adamant  would  scarce  have  been  more  impervious  to  the 


262  THE   BOY   TAR. 

blade  of  my  knife.  It  would  have  been  the  work  of  a 
week  at  least.  My  provision  would  not  keep  me  alive 
till  I  had  reached  the  other  side.  But  I  did  not  specu- 
late on  such  a  performance.  It  Avas  too  manifestly  im- 
possible, and  I  turned  away  from  it  without  giving  it 
another  thought. 

For  a  little  while  I  remained  inactive,  considering 
what  should  be  my  next  movement.  I  did  not  rest  long. 
Time  was  too  precious  to  be  wasted  in  mere  reflection. 
Action  alone  could  save  me  ;  and,  spurred  on  by  this 
thought,  I  was  soon  at  work  again. 

My  new  design  was  simply  to  clear  out  the  cloth 
from  the  second  box,  cut  through  its  farther  side,  and 
find  out  what  lay  in  that  direction. 

As  I  had  already  made  a  way  into  the  box,  the  first 
thing  was  to  remove  the  cloth.  For  the  time,  my  knife 
was  laid  aside,  and  I  commenced  pulling  out  the  pieces. 
It  was  no  light  labor,  getting  out  the  first  three  or  four. 
Unfortunately,  the  ends  of  the  webs  were  towards  me, 
and  this  rendered  it  more  difficult  to  separate  them  ; 
but  I  continued  to  tug  and  pull  until  I  had  extracted 
a  few  ;  and  then  the  work  became  easier. 

Just  as  in  the  other  case,  I  found  large  coarse  pieces 
that  would  not  pass  through  the  aperture  I  had  made  ; 
and  not  liking  to  take  the  pains  to  make  a  wider  open- 
ing in  the  Avood,  I  adopted  the  same  plan  I  had  tried 
before  ;  that  is,  to  cut  the  cloth  loose  from  its  fastenings, 
unroll  it,  and  draw  it  out  by  the  yard. 

This  was  easier,  I  thought ;  but,  alas  !  it  proved  the 
source  of  a  new  and  unexpected  dilemma,  —  as  I  had 
occasion  soon  after  to  perceive. 

I  was  getting  on  well  enough,  and  had  succeeded  in 


THE   BALE    OF   LINEX.  263 

clearing  out  a  space  almost  large  enough  to  work  in, 
when  I  was  suddenly  brought  to  a  stop,  by  finding  that 
I  had  no  room  for  any  more  cloth  behind  me  1  The 
whole  of  the  open  space,  —  including  my  little  apart- 
ment, the  biscuit-box,  and  the  other  case,  —  was  quite 
full,  for  I  had  filled  each  in  succession  as  I  went  along. 
There  was  not  a  foot  of  space  left,  —  not  so  much  as 
would  hold  another  web  ! 

This  discovery  did  not  create  an  immediate  alarm  ; 
for  I  did  not  at  first  perceive  the  full  consequence  of  it. 
It  was  only  after  a  little  reflection,  that  I  recognized  the 
difliculty  ;  and  then  I  saw  that  it  was  indeed  a  difficulty, 
—  a  very  dangerous  dilemma. 

It  was  plain  that  I  could  proceed  no  farther  in  my 
work  without  clearing  off  the  "  back  water  "  that  I  had 
so  thoughtlessly  accumulated  ;  and  how  was  this  to  be 
done  ?  I  could  not  destroy  the  cloth  by  burning,  nor  in 
any  other  way  that  I  could  think  of.  I  could  not  lessen 
its  bulk,  for  I  had  already  pressed  it  together  as  closely 
as  I  had  strength.    How,  then,  was  it  to  be  disposed  of? 

I  now  perceived  the  imprudence  I  had  committed 
in  unrolling  the  webs.  This  Avas  the  cause  of  its  having 
increased  so  in  bulk  ;  though  not  altogether,  for  the  very 
taking  out  of  the  pieces,  —  on  account  of  the  tight  press- 
ure they  had  originally  undergone  while  being  packed 
in  the  cases,  —  of  itself  greatly  enlarged  their  mass. 
To  restore  them  to  the  state  in  which  I  had  found  them, 
was  no  longer  possible.  They  were  littered  through 
and  through  in  the  most  complete  confusion,  and  I  had 
no  room  to  work  in,  even  to  refold  them  again,  —  since 
I  could  scarce  move  about  in  the  constrained  quarters 
and  attitude  I  was  compelled  to  assume.     Even  had  I 


264  THE   BOY   TAR. 

had  ample  space  to  work  in,  I  could  not  easily  have 
got  the  stuff  back  to  a  suitable  bulk ;  for  the  coarser 
material,  —  elastic  as  it  was,  —  would  have  required  a 
screw-press  to  bring  it  to  its  former  size.  I  felt  quite 
disheartened  as  I  thought  the  thing  over,  —  more  than 
disheartened,  again  almost  despairing. 

But  no  !  —  it  had  not  yet  reached  the  point  of  despair 
with  me.  By  getting  enough  space  for  another  piece  or 
two,  I  should  have  room  to  cut  a  hole  through  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  box,  and  there  was  still  hope  beyond. 
If,  indeed,  another  case  of  broadcloth,  or  another  bale 
of  linen,  should  be  found  there,  it  would  then  be  time  to 
yield  myself  up  to  despair. 

But  hope  in  the  human  breast  is  hard  to  destroy,  and 
it  was  so  in  mine.  So  long  as  there  is  life,  thought  I, 
let  there  be  hope ;  and,  inspired  with  the  old  proverb,  I 
renewed  my  exertions. 

After  a  while,  I  succeeded  in  stowing  away  two  more 
pieces ;  and  this  gave  me  just  room  to  creep  inside  the  now 
nearly  empty  box,  and  go  to  work  again  with  my  knife. 

This  time  I  had  to  cut  the  board  across  the  middle,  — 
as  the  cloth  on  both  sides  would  not  permit  me  to  get  at 
either  end.  It  made  little  difference,  however  ;  and  when 
I  had  finished  carving  at  the  wood,  I  was  able  to  push 
out  both  sections,  and  make  an  aperture  sufficient  for  my 
purpose.  I  say  sufficient  for  my  purpose,  —  for  it  only 
needed  a  hole  large  enough  to  admit  my  hand  ;  and,  once 
protruding  my  fingers,  I  was  satisfied,  as  before,  with  a 
most  melancholy  result.     Another  hale  of  linen  ! 

Fatigued  and  faint,  I  could  have  fallen,  had  it  been 
possible  to  fall  lower  ;  but  I  was  already  upon  my  face, 
alike  prostrate  in  body  and  soul ! 


i 


CHAPTER  XLVn. 


EXCELSIOR. 


It  was  some  time  before  I  recovered  strength  or  spirit 
to  arouse  myself.  But  for  hunger,  I  might  have  re- 
mained longer  in  the  sort  of  torpid  lethargy  into  which  I 
had  fallen  ;  but  nature  craved  loudly  for  sustenance.  I 
could  have  eaten  my  crumbs  where  I  lay,  and  would 
have  done  so,  but  that  thirst  carried  me  back  to  my  old 
quarters.  It  made  little  difference  where  I  slept,  as  I 
could  have  fenced  myself  against  the  rats  within  either 
of  the  boxes  ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  be  near  the  water- 
butt,  and  this  alone  influenced  me  in  the  choice  of  my 
sleeping-place. 

It  was  not  such  an  easy  matter  getting  back  to  my 
former  position.  Many  pieces  of  cloth  had  to  be  lifted 
out  of  the  way  and  drawn  behind  me.  They  had  to  be 
placed  carefully,  —  else  on  reaching  the  entrance  to  my 
chamber,  I  should  not  be  able  to  clear  a  space  large 
enough  to  contain  my  body. 

I  succeeded,  however,  in  effecting  my  purpose  ;  and, 
having  eaten  my  morsel,  and  quenched  my  feverish 
thirst,  I  fell  back  upon  the  mass  of  cloth,  and  was  asleep 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

I  had  taken  the  usual  precaution  to  close  the  gates  of 

12 


2G6  THE   BOY   TAR. 

my  fortress,  and  this  time  I  slept  my  sleep  out,  undis- 
turbed by  the  rats. 

In  the  morning,  —  or  rather,  I  should  say,  in  the 
hour  of  my  awaking,  —  I  again  ate  and  drank.  I  know 
not  whether  it  was  morning  ;  for,  in  consequence  of  my 
watch  having  once  or  twice  run  down,  I  could  no  longer 
tell  night  from  day ;  and  my  sleep,  now  not  regular  as 
formerly,  failed  to  inf^^rm  me  of  the  hours.  What  I  ate 
failed  to  satisfy  hunger.  All  the  food  that  was  left  me 
would  not  have  sufficed  for  that ;  and  not  the  least  diffi- 
cult part  I  had  to  perform,  was  the  restraining  myself 
from  eating  out  my  whole  stock  at  a  meal.  I  could 
easily  have  done  it,  and  it  required  all  my  resolution  to 
refrain.  But  my  resolution  was  backed  by  the  too  cer- 
tain knowledge  that  such  a  meal  would  be  my  last,  and 
my  abstinence  was  strengthened  simply  by  the  fear  of 
starvation. 

Having  breakfasted,  then,  as  sparingly  as  possible, 
and  filled  my  stomach  with  w^ater  instead  of  food,  I 
once  more  worked  my  way  into  the  second  cloth-box, 
determined  to  continue  my  search  as  long  as  strength 
was  left  me.  There  was  not  much  left  now.  I  knew 
that  what  I  ate  was  barely  sufficient  to  sustain  life,  and 
I  felt  that  I  was  fast  wasting  away.  My  ribs  projected 
like  those  of  a  skeleton,  and  it  was  as  much  as  I  could 
do  to  move  the  heavier  pieces  of  the  cloth. 

One  end  of  all  the  boxes,  as  already  stated,  was 
placed  against  the  side  of  the  ship.  Of  course,  it  was 
of  no  use  tunnelling  in  that  direction  ;  but  the  end  of 
the  second  case,  which  faced  inwards,  I  had  not  yet 
tried.     This  was  now  my  task. 

I  need  not  detail  the  particulars  of  the  work.     It 


EXCELSIOR.  267 

resembled  that  I  had  executed  already,  and  lasted  for 
several  successive  hours.  The  result  was,  once  again,  a 
painful  disappointment.  Another  bale  of  linen  !  I  could 
go  no  farther  in  that  direction.  And  now  no  farther  in 
any  direction  ! 

Boxes  of  broadcloth  and  bales  of  linen  were  all 
around  me.  I  could  not  penetrate  beyond.  I  could 
not  make  a  way  through  them.  There  was  no  room 
for  further  progress. 

This  was  the  melancholy  conclusion  at  which  I  had 
arrived,  and  I  was  once  more  thrown  back  into  my  de- 
spairing mood. 

Fortunately,  this  did  not  last  long,  for  shortly  after  a 
train  of  thought  came  into  my  mind  that  prompted  me 
to  further  action.  It  was  memory  that  came  to  my  aid. 
I  remembered  having  read  a  book,  which  described  very 
beautifully  the  struggles  of  a  boy,  amidst  great  diffi- 
culties, —  how  he  bravely  refused  to  yield  to  each  new 
disappointment ;  but,  by  dint  of  courage  and  persever- 
ance, overcame  every  obstacle,  and  at  last  obtained  suc- 
cess. I  remembered,  too,  that  this  boy  had  adopted  for 
his  motto,  the  Latin  word  "  Excelsior,"  which  was  ex- 
plained to  mean  "  higher  "  or  "  upward.'' 

On  reflecting  upon  the  struggles  which  this  boy  had 
undergone,  and  how  he  had  succeeded  in  surmounting 
so  many  difficulties,  —  some  even  as  great  as  those  that 
surrounded  myself,  —  I  was  nerved  to  make  a  new  effiDrt. 

But  I  believe  it  was  this  peculiar  word,  "  Excelsior," 
that  guided  me  in  ray  after  proceedings,  for  by  its  most 
literal  sense  was  I  directed.  Upward,  thought  I,  —  I 
might  search  upward.  Why  did  it  not  occur  to  me  be- 
fore ?     There  might  be  food  in  this  direction,  as  likely 


268  THE   BOY   TAR. 

as  in  any  other,  and  certainly  I  had  no  choice,  as  every 
other  direction  had  been  tried.  I  resolved,  then,  to 
search  upward. 

In  another  minute  I  was  upon  my  back,  knife  in 
hand.  I  propped  myself  with  pieces  of  cloth,  —  so  that 
I  might  work  more  conveniently,  —  and  after  groping 
out  one  of  the  divisions  of  the  lid,  I  commenced  notch- 
ing it  crossways. 

The  board  at  length  gave  way  to  my  exertions.  I 
dragged  it  downwards.  Oh,  heavens !  were  my  hopes 
again  destined  to  suffer  defeat  and  mockery  ? 

Alas  !  it  was  even  so.  The  coarse,  hard-grained  can- 
vas, with  the  dull  sodden  mass  behind  it,  answered  me 
with  a  sad  affirmative. 

There  yet  remained  the  upper  side  of  the  other  case, 
and  then  that  of  the  biscuit-box.  Both  should  be  tried 
as  a  last  effort,  and  that  before  I  could  again  sleep. 

And  both  were  tried,  with  like  evil  fortune.  Upon 
the  former  rested  a  case  of  the  cloth,  while  another  bale 
of  linen  completely  covered  the  top  of  the  latter. 

«  Merciful  God !  am  I  forsaken  ?  " 

Such  was  my  exclamation  as  I  sank  back  into  an 
attitude  of  complete  exhaustion. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

A   TORRENT    OF    BRANDY. 

Sleep  followed,  brought  on  by  weariness  and  long 
exertion  ;  and  when  I  awoke,  I  felt  my  strength  greatly 
restored.  Singular  enough,  my  spirits  were  a  good  deal 
lighter,  and  I  was  far  less  despairing  than  I  had  been 
before.  It  seemed  as  if  some  supernatural  influence 
sustained  me,  —  perhaps  an  inspiration  given  by  the 
great  Creator  himself,  to  enable  me  to  persevere.  Not- 
withstanding that  my  disappointments  had  been  many 
and  oft-repeated,  I  bore  up  under  the  infliction  as 
meekly  as  I  could,  and  never  yet  had  I  felt  in  my  heart 
a  rebellious  feeling  against  God. 

I  still  continued  to  offer  up  prayers  for  my  success, 
and  to  place  reliance  upon  the  hope  that  His  mercy 
would  yet  be  extended  to  me.  This  feeling  it  was,  — • 
I  am  sure  it  was,  —  that  upheld  me,  and  kept  me  from 
falling  into  utter  despondency. 

On  awaking  again,  as  I  have  said,  my  spirits  felt 
lighter,  though  I  know  not  why,  unless  it  was  that  I  was 
cheered  by  some  influence  from  above.  I  can  only 
account  for  it  in  this  way,  since  there  was  no  change  in 
the  circumstances  that  surrounded  me,  —  at  least  none 
for  the  better,  —  nor  had  I  conceived  any  new  hope  or 
plan. 


270  THE    BOY   TAR. 

It  was  certain  that  I  could  penetrate  no  farther  through 
the  boxes  of  cloth  and  bales  of  linen,  —  as  I  had  no  place 
to  stow  their  contents  behind  me.  That  side,  therefore, 
was  now  no  longer  the  object  of  my  attention. 

There  were  still  two  other  directions  in  which  I  might 
search,  —  the  one  directly  in  front,  and  that  toward  the 
left,  which  last  I  knew  to  be  in  the  direction  of  the  bows 
of  the  ship. 

In  front,  the  space  was  taken  up  by  the  great  water- 
butt,  and  of  course  I  did  not  think  of  cutting  a  way 
through  this.  It  would  lead  to  the  loss  of  my  supply 
of  water.  I  did  for  a  moment  imagine  that  I  might 
make  a  hole  high  up  above  the  water-line,  through 
which  I  might  squeeze  my  body,  and  then  get  through 
to  the  opposite  side  by  making  a  second  hole.  I  knew 
that  the  butt  was  now  scarce  half  full,  —  as  the  heat  had 
kept  me  almost  continually  athirst,  and,  confident  in  my 
supply,  I  had  drunk  large  quantities.  But  it  occurred 
to  me  that  if  I  made  this  great  opening,  I  might  lose  all 
my  water  in  a  single  night.  A  sudden  squall  might 
arise,  —  for  several  had  been  encountered  already,  — 
and  set  the  ship  a  rolling.  In  that  case,  if  the  vessel,  — 
crank  as  she  was,  —  came  near  getting  upon  her  beam- 
ends,  which  she  often  did,  my  butt  would  be  turned  half 
over,  and  the  water  of  course  would  all  escape,  —  the 
precious  water  that  had  hitherto  stood  my  friend,  and 
but  for  which  I  should  have  long  ago  miserably  perished. 

Another  consideration  influenced  me  not  to  touch  the 
butt :  there  was  an  easier  direction  to  proceed  in,  and 
that  was  through  the  hrandy-cash. 

This  stood  end  towards  me,  and,  as  already  stated, 
shut  me  in  upon  the  left.    Its  head  or  bottom,  —  I  could 


A   TORRENT    OF   BRANDY.  271 

not  say  which,  —  lay  quite  up  against  the  end  of  the 
water-butt ;  but  for  some  reason  it  had  been  cleated 
closer  up  to  the  side  timbers  of  the  ship,  so  that  there 
was  hardly  any  vacant  space  behind  it.  For  this 
reason,  nearly  one  half  of  its  diameter  overlapped  the 
end  of  the  water-butt,  —  the  other  half  completing  the 
inclosure  of  my  cabin. 

Through  this  last  half  I  resolved  to  cut  my  way,  and 
then,  creeping  inside  the  cask,  to  make  another  hole  that 
would  let  me  through  its  opposite  side. 

Perhaps,  beyond  the  brandy-cask  I  might  find  food 
and  safety  ?  It  was  only  bhnd  guessing  on  my  part ; 
but  I  again  prayed  for  success. 

Making  an  incision  across  the  thick  oak  plank  that 
formed  the  bottom  staves,  was  a  very  different  affair 
from  cutting  through  soft  spruce  deal,  and  I  progressed 
but  slowly.  A  beginning  had  already  been  made,  how- 
ever, —  where  I  had  formerly  tapped  the  cask ;  and 
entering  my  blade  at  this  same  hole,  I  worked  away 
until  I  had  cut  one  of  the  pieces  clear  across^  I  then 
put  on  my  buskins,  and,  getting  upon  my  back,  kicked 
upon  the  stave  with  all  my  might,  using  my  heels  as  a 
trip-hammer.  It  was  a  stiff  job;  for  the  piece,  being 
jointed  into  the  others  on  both  sides,  refused  for  a  long 
time  to  yield.  But  the  constant  hammering  at  length 
loosened  it,  by  breaking  off  one  of  the  joinings,  and  I 
had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  it  was  giving  way.  A 
few  more  strong  finishing  blows  did  the  business,  and 
the  stave  was  at  length  forced  inward. 

The  immediate  result  was  a  gush  of  brandy  that  com- 
pletely overwhelmed  me.  It  rushed  over  me,  not  in  a 
jet,  but  in  a  grand  volume,  as  thick  as  my  body ;  and 


272  THE    BOY    TAR. 

before  I  could  raise  myself  into  an  erect  position,  it 
was  all  over  and  around  me,  so  that  I  had  a  fear  I  was 
going  to  be  drowned  in  it !  The  whole  space  I  occu- 
pied was  filled  up,  and  it  was  only  by  holding  my  head 
close  up  to  the  ship's  timbers  that  I  could  keep  my 
mouth  clear  of  being  filled.  At  the  first  gush  a  quantity 
had  got  into  my  throat,  and  eyes  as  well,  and  well-nigh 
choked  and  blinded  me  ;  and  it  was  some  time  before  I 
got  over  the  fit  of  coughing  and  sneezing  which  it  had 
suddenly  brought  on. 

I  was  in  no  mood  to  be  merry  at  the  time ;  yet  strange 
enough,  I  could  not  help  thinking  of  the  Duke  of  Clar- 
ence and  his  odd  fancy  of  being  drowned  in  the  butt  of 
malmsey. 

The  singular  flood  subsided  almost  as  rapidly  as  it 
had  risen.  There  was  plenty  of  space  for  it  down  be- 
low ;  and  in  a  few  seconds'  time  it  had  all  gone  down  to 
mix  among  the  bilge- water,  and  jabble  about  during  the 
remainder  of  the  voyage.  The  only  traces  it  had  left 
were  in  my  wet  clothes,  and  the  strong  alcoholic  smell 
that  filled  the  atmosphere  around  me,  and  almost  hin- 
dered me  from  getting  breath. 

As  the  ship's  head  rose  upon  the  waves,  the  cask  was 
tilted  upwards,  and  this  movement  in  ten  minutes  emp- 
tied it  so  completely  that  not  a  single  pint  remained 
inside. 

But  I  had  not  waited  for  this.  The  stave  I  had 
kicked  out  left  an  aperture  large  enough  to  admit  my 
body  —  it  did  not  need  to  be  very  large  for  that  —  and 
as  soon  as  my  coughing  fit  had  ended,  I  squeezed  my- 
self through  to  the  inside  of  the  cask. 

I  groped  around  for  the  bung,  —  believing  that  this 


A   TORRENT   OF    BRANDY.  273 

would  be  the  best  place  to  cut  across  one  of  the  staves. 
The  hole,  usually  a  large  one,  would  admit  the  blade  of 
my  knife,  and  would  be  so  much  of  my  work  done  to 
band.  I  found  the  place  easily  enough,  and  fortunately 
it  was  not  on  the  top,  —  where  I  fancied  it  might  be,  — 
but  on  the  side,  and  just  at  a  convenient  height.  Closing 
the  blade  of  my  knife,  I  hammered  on  the  wooden  plug 
with  the  haft.  After  a  few  strokes,  I  succeeded  in 
forcing  it  outwards,  and  then  set  to  work  to  make  the 
cross-cut  of  the  stave. 

I  had  not  made  a  dozen  notches,  before  I  felt  my 
strength  wonderfully  increased.  I  had  been  weak  be- 
fore, but  now  it  appeared  to  me  as  if  I  could  push  out 
the  staves  without  cutting  them.-  I  felt  in  a  measure 
cheerful,  —  as  if  I  had  been  merely  working  for  the 
play  of  the  thing,  and  it  was  of  but  little  consequence 
whether  I  succeeded  or  not.  I  have  some  recollection 
that  I  both  whistled  and  sang  as  I  worked.  The  idea 
that  I  was  in  any  danger  of  losing  my  life  quite  forsook 
me,  and  all  the  hardships  through  which  I  had  been 
passing  appeared  to  have  been  only  imaginary,  —  a 
chimera  of  my  brain,  or,  at  most,  only  a  dream. 

Just  then  I  was  seized  with  a  terrible  fit  of  thirst, 
and  I  remember  making  a  struggle  to  get  out  of  the 
brandy-cask  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  drink  from  the 
water-butt.  I  must  have  succeeded  in  getting  out  of 
the  cask,  but  whether  I  actually  did  drink  at  the  time,  I 
could  never  be  certain ;  for  after  that  I  remembered 
nothing  more,  but  was  for  a  long  while  as  completely 
unconscious  as  if  I  had  been  dead ! 
12* 


CHAPTER   XLIX. 


A   NEW   DANGER. 


I  KEMAINED  in  this  state  of  insensibility  for  several 
hours,  and  was  not  even  troubled,  —  as  was  usual  w^hen 
I  slept,  —  with  painful  dreams.  I  did  not  dream  at  all ; 
but,  on  awaking  to  consciousness,  I  had  a  dread  feeling 
upon  me,  just  as  if  I  had  been  cast  from  off  the  earth 
into  infinite  space,  and  was  rapidly  floating  onwards,  or 
falling  from  some  great  height,  without  ever  reaching  a 
point  of  rest.  It  was  a  feeling  of  a  most  unpleasant 
kind,  —  in  fact,  a  feeling  of  horror. 

Fortunately,  it  did  not  continue  long ;  and  as  I  en- 
deavored to  rouse  myself  it  became  less  painful,  and  at 
length  passed  away.  In  its  stead,  however,  I  felt  sick 
at  the  stomach,  and  my  head  ached  as  though  it  would 
split.  Surely  it  was  not  the  sea  that  had  made  me  sick  ? 
No,  it  could  not  be  that.  I  was  long  since  hardened 
against  sea-sickness.  Even  another  storm  would  not 
have  brought  it  on ;  but  there  was  no  particular  rough- 
ness. The  ship  was  sailing  under  breezy  but  not  stormy 
weather. 

Was  it  fever  that  had  suddenly  attacked  me  in  a 
violent  manner  ?  or  had  I  fainted  from  want  of  strength  ? 
No ;  I  had  experienced  both  calamities,  but  this  new 
sensation  resembled  neither. 


A  NEW   DANGER.  275 

I  was  in  reality  at  a  loss  to  account  for  what  was 
ailing  me.  In  a  short  time,  however,  my  thoughts  be- 
came clearer,  and  then  the  truth  dawned  upon  my  mind. 
I  had  been  in  a  state  of  intoxication  ? 

Intoxication  it  must  have  been,  though  wine  I  had 
not  tasted,  nor  brandy  neither,  —  not  a  mouthful.  I 
disliked  it  too  much  for  that ;  and  although  there  was 
plenty  of  it,  —  or  had  been,  for  it  was  now  all  gone,  — 
enough  to  have  drowned  myself  in,  I  was  not  conscious 
of  having  drunk  a  drop  of  it.  True,  a  drop  had  passed 
into  my  mouth,  —  a  drop,  or  maybe  a  spoonful,  had 
gone  down  my  throat  when  the  torrent  gushed  over 
me  ;  but  surely  this  small  quantity  could  not  have  pro- 
duced intoxication,  even  if  it  had  been  liquor  ever  so 
much  above  proofs  Impossible  ;  it  could  not  have  been 
that  that  produced  intoxication  ? 

And  what,  then  ?  Something  had  made  me  drunk. 
Although  I  had  never  been  so  in  my  life,  yet  I  guessed 
the  symptoms  to  mean  only  this. 

As  I  continued  to  reflect,  —  that  is,  as  I  grew  more 
soher^  —  the  mystery  was  cleared  up,  and  I  discovered 
the  cause  of  my  intoxication.  It  was  not  brandy,  but 
the  "  fumes "  of  brandy,  that  had  done  it,  —  this,  and 
nothing  else. 

Even  before  entering  the  cask,  I  had  noticed  a  de- 
cided change  in  my  feelings,  for  the  fumes  of  the  liquor, 
even  outside,  were  strong  enough  to  make  me  sneeze ; 
but  this  was  nothing  to  the  effluvia  which  I  encountered 
inside  the  vessel.  At  first  I  could  scarcely  breathe,  but 
by  little  and  little  I  became  accustomed  to  it,  and  rather 
liked  it.  No  wonder,  since  it  was  making  me  feel  so 
strong  and  happy ! 


276  THE    BOY    TAR. 

On  cogitating  further  on  this  singular  incident,  I  re- 
membered how  I  came  to  be  outside  the  cask,  —  how 
thirst  had  influenced  me  to  come  out ;  and  I  now  per- 
ceived how  fortunate  it  was  that  I  had  followed  the 
guidance  of  this  appetite.  I  have  said  that  I  did  not 
know  whether  I  had  actually  quenched  my  thirst.  I 
had  no  remembrance  of  going  to  the  butt,  or  of  drawing 
a  cup  of  water.  I  think  I  did  not  get  so  far.  Had  I 
done  so,  in  all  probability  I  should  have  left  out  the 
vent-peg,  and  then  a  large  quantity  of  water  would 
have  been  spilled.  The  water-line  would  have  been 
down  to  a  level  with  the  vent ;  and  this,  on  examination, 
I  gladly  perceived  was  not  the  case.  Moreover,  my 
drinking-cup  felt  too  dry  to  have  been  used  lately.  I 
had  not  drank,  then,  and  this  was  a  fortunate  circum- 
stance, though  far  more  fortunate  was  the  circumstance 
that  I  had  thirsted.  Had  it  not  been  for  this,  I  should 
no  doubt  have  remained  inside  the  cask,  and  the  conse- 
quence must  have  been  disastrous  indeed.  I  cannot  say 
what,  but  certainly  some  fatal  result  would  have  fol- 
lowed. In  all  likelihood,  I  should  have  remained  in  a 
state  of  intoxication,  —  how  was  I  ever  to  get  sober  ?  — 
every  moment  getting  worse,  until  when  ?  Until  death  ! 
Who  knows  ? 

A  mere  accidental  circumstance,  then,  had  once  more 
saved  my  life ;  but  perhaps  it  was  not  accidental.  It 
may  have  been  the  hand  of  Providence,  and  I  believed 
so  at  the  time.  If  prayers  express  gratitude,  mine  were 
given,  and  with  all  the  fervor  of  my  soul. 

Whether  I  had  allayed  my  thirst  or  not,  certain  it 
was  that  the  quenching  had  been  but  temporary  ;  for  I 
now  felt  as  if  I  could  drink  the  butt  dry.    I  lost  no  time 


A   NEW   DANGER.  277 

in  groping  for  my  cup,  and  I  am  sure  I  did  not  leave 
off  till  I  had  drank  nearly  half  a  gallon  of  water. 

The  water  removed  a  good  deal  of  the  sickness,  and 
also  cleared  my  brains,  as  if  it  had  washed  them.  Being 
once  more  restored  to  ray  proper  senses,  I  returned  to  the 
consideration  of  the  perils  by  which  I  was  surrounded. 

My  first  thought  was  about  continuing  the  work  I  had 
so  abruptly  left  off,  and  only  now  did  it  occur  to  me  that 
I  might  not  he  able  to  go  on  with  it.  What  if  I  was  to 
get  into  the  same  state  as  before,  —  what  if  my  senses 
again  became  stupefied,  and  I  should  not  have  presence 
of  mind  or  resolution  to  come  out  of  the  cask  ? 

Perhaps  I  might  labor  away  for  a  while  without  get- 
ting into  the  same  state,  and  if  I  felt  it  coming  on  me  I 
could  hasten  out.  Perhaps !  But  should  it  be  other- 
wise ?  If  the  intoxication  should  come  suddenly  upon 
me,  —  how  then  ?  How  long  had  it  been  before  I  felt 
it  on  the  former  occasion  ?  I  tried  to  remember,  but 
could  not. 

I  remembered  how  this  strange  influence  had  stolen 
over  me,  —  how  soothingly  and  sweetly  it  came,  wrap- 
ping my  senses  as  if  in  a  delightful  dream.  How  it 
had  made  me  reckless  of  consequences,  —  forgetful  even 
of  my  appalling  situation  ! 

Supposing  that  all  was  to  be  repeated,  —  the  same 
scene  to  be  enacted  over  again,  —  and  only  one  incident 
to  be  left  out:  that  is,  the.  thirst  which  brought  me  forth 
from  the  cask,  —  supposing  all  this  ?  And  why  might 
it  not  be  just  what  would  take  place  ?  I  could  not 
answer  the  question  one  way  or  the  other ;  but  so 
strong  were  my  apprehensions  of  the  probability  that 
it  might,  that  I  hesitated  to  reenter  the  cash  1 


278  THE    BOY    TAR. 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  however.  I  must  either  do 
so,  or  die  where  I  laj.  If  death  in  the  end  was  to  be 
my  fate,  better  far,  thought  I,  to  die  by  this  apparently 
easy  mode ;  for  I  felt  convinced,  from  the  experience  I 
had  had,  that  such  death  would  be  without  a  pang. 

The  reflection  emboldened  me  —  as  well  as  the  knowl- 
edge that  I  had  no  alternative,  no  choice  of  plan  ;  and 
again  pronouncing  a  prayer,  I  crawled  back  into  the 
brandy-cask. 


CHAPTER  L. 


WHERE    WAS    MY   KNIFE  T 


On  entering,  I  groped  about  for  my  knife.  I  had 
quite  forgotten  how  or  where  I  had  laid  it  down.  I  had 
already  searched  for  it  outside,  but  without  success  ;  and 
I  concluded  that  I  must  have  left  it  behind  me  in  the 
cask.  I  was  surprised  at  not  laying  my  hand  upon  it  at 
once,  for  although  I  ran  my  fingers  all  around  the  under 
side  of  the  vessel,  nothing  like  a  knife  did  I  touch. 

I  was  beginning  to  feel  alarmed  about  it.  It  might 
be  lost,  and  if  so,  all  hopes  of  deliverance  would  be  at 
an  end.  Without  the  knife,  I  could  proceed  no  farther 
in  any  direction,  but  might  lie  down  inactive  to  abide 
my  fate.  Where  could  the  knife  be  ?  Was  it  likely 
that  the  rats  had  carried  it  off? 

I  again  backed  out  of  the  cask,  and  made  a  new 
search  outside  ;  but  not  finding  what  I  was  looking  for, 
I  once  more  crept  into  the  barrel,  and  once  more  felt  it 
all  over,  —  that  is,  every  part  of  it  where  a  knife  could 
lie. 

I  was  very  near  going  out  again,  when  it  occurred  to 
me  to  raise  my  hands  a  little  higher,  and  examine  the 
bung-hole,  at  which  I  had  been  working  when  I  last  had 
the  knife  jn  my  hands.     It  may  be  there,  thought  I ; 


280  THE   BOY   TAR. 

and  to  my  joy  it  was  there,  sticking  in  the  notch  I  had 
been  cutting  with  it. 

I  set  to  work,  without  further  delay,  to  widen  the  hole 
crossways  ;  but  the  blade,  from  so  much  use,  had  become 
"dull  as  a  beetle,"  and  my  progress  through  the  hard 
oaken  stave  was  as  slow  as  if  I  had  been  cutting  through 
a  stone.  I  carved  away  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  with- 
out making  the  notch  the  eighth  part  of  an  inch  deeper  ; 
and  I  almost  despaired  of  ever  getting  through  the 
stave. 

I  now  felt  the  singular  influence  again  coming  over 
me,  and  could  have  remained  without  much  fear,  —  for 
such  is  the  effect  of  intoxication  ;  but  I  had  promised 
myself  that  the  moment  I  became  aware  of  any  change, 
I  should  retreat  from  the  dangerous  spot.  Fortunately, 
I  had  resolution,  and  barely  enough,  to  keep  my  prom- 
ise ;  and,  before  it  was  too  late,  I  dragged  myself  back 
to  the  rear  of  the  w^ater-butt. 

It  was  well  I  did  so  at  the  very  time,  for  had  I 
remained  in  the  brandy-cask  but  ten  minutes  longer, 
beyond  doubt  I  should  have  been  hopelessly  insensible. 
As  it  was,  I  already  felt  quite  "  happy,"  and  remained 
so  for  some  time. 

But  as  the  alcoholic  influence  departed,  I  grew  more 
miserable  than  ever,  —  for  I  now  perceived  that  this 
unexpected  obstacle  to  my  progress  was  about  to  ruin 
all  my  hopes.  I  believed  that  I  could  return  at  inter- 
vals, and  go  on  with  the  work  ;  but  only  at  long  intervals, 
and  now  that  the  blade  of  my  knife  had  grown  so  blunt, 
I  could  make  but  little  progress.  It  would  be  days  be- 
fore I  should  get  through  the  side  of  the  cask  ;  and  days 
were  denied  me.     The  small  store  of  crumbs  was  sadly 


WHERE    WAS   MY   KNIFE?  281 

reduced  ;  in  fact,  I  was  on  my  last  handful.  I  had  not 
enough  to  keep  me  alive  for  three  days !  The  chances 
of  saving  my  life  were  growing  narrower  with  every 
fresh  move,  and  I  was  fast  giving  way  to  despair.  Had 
I  been  sure  that  after  cutting  through  the  cask  I  should 
have  found  relief  on  the  other  side,  I  might  have  con- 
templated the  enterprise  with  more  eagerness  and  en- 
ergy ;  but  this  was  worse  than  doubtful.  There  were 
ten  chances  to  one  against  my  finding  a  box  of  biscuits, 
or  anything  that  was  eatable. 

One  advantage  had  arisen  from  my  breaking  into  the 
brandy-cask,  which  now  occurred  to  me  in  full  force.  It 
had  given  me  a  large  empty  space  ;  and  therefore,  if  I 
could  only  get  beyond,  —  even  though  there  should  not 
be  a  package  containing  food,  —  still  it  might  be  some- 
thing which  I  could  remove  into  the  inside  of  the  cask, 
and  thus  make  way  for  farther  operations.  .^ 

This  was  certainly  a  fresh  phase  which  my  situation 
had  assumed  ;  but  a  still  better  idea  succeeded,  that  lent 
a  new  and  joyous  aspect  to  my  thoughts.  It  was  this : 
If  I  could  so  easily  cut  my  way  from  box  to  box,  as  I 
had  already  proved,  why  might  1  not  tunnel  u-pyjards^ 
and  reach  the  deck  ? 

The  thought  startled  me.  It  was  quite  new.  It  had 
not  occurred  to  me  before,  —  strangely  enough  it  had 
not,  —  and  I  can  only  explain  its  tardy  conception  by 
the  fact  of  the  confused  state  of  mind  in  which  I  had 
all  along  been,  and  which  might  have  led  me  to  deem 
such  an  enterprise  an  impossibility. 

No  doubt  there  were  numberless  packages  heaped 
over  me,  one  upon  another.  No  doubt  the  hold  was  quite 
full  of  them,  and  I  knew  that  I  was  near  the  bottom  of 


282  THE    BOY   TAR. 

all.  I  remembered,  too,  —  what  had  puzzled  me  at  the 
time,  —  that  the  stowage  had  continued  for  a  long  time 
after  I  came  aboard,  —  that  for  two  days  and  nights  the 
work  seemed  to  be  going  on,  and  therefore  the  whole 
cargo  must  have  been  placed  above  me.  Still,  withal, 
a  dozen  large  boxes  would  reach  to  the  top,  or,  maybe, 
not  half  so  many  would  fill  up  to  the  deck.  Allowing  a 
day  to  the  cutting  through  each  one,  I  might  be  able  to 
reach  the  top  in  about  a  week  or  ten  days  ! 

Though  a  joyful  thought,  it  would  have  been  far 
more  welcome  at  an  earlier  period,  but  it  now  came 
accompanied  by  the  wildest  regrets.  Perhaps  it  had 
come  too  late  to  save  me  ?  Had  I  begun  aright  ?  — 
when  I  had  my  full  box  of  biscuits,  I  might  easily 
have  carried  the  plan  into  execution ;  but  now,  alas  ! 
scarce  a  morsel  remained ;  and  it  seemed  hopeless  to 
^attempt  what  I  had  conceived. 

Still,  I  could  not  surrender  up  this  alluring  prospect 
of  life  and  freedom  ;  and,  stifling  all  idle  regrets,  I  gave 
my  mind  to  its  further  consideration. 

Time,  of  course,  was  now  the  important  matter, 
and  that  which  caused  me  the  greatest  anxiety.  I 
feared  that  even  before  I  could  accomplish  an  open- 
ing on  the  farther  side  of  the  empty  barrel,  my  food 
would  be  all  consumed,  and  my  strength  quite  exhaust- 
ed. Perhaps  I  should  die  in  the  middle  of  my  work,  — 
literally  "  in  the  breach." 

While  pondering  thus,  another  new  thought  came 
uppermost  in  my  mind.  It  was  also  a  good  idea, 
however  horrid  it  may  seem  to  those  who  do  not  hun- 
ger. But  hunger  and  the  dread  of  starvation  have 
the  effect  of  simplifying  the  choice  of  a  man's  appetite, 


WHERE   WAS   MY   KNIFE  ?  283 

and  under  such  circumstances  the  stomach  ceases  to  be 
dainty. 

Mine  had  long  since  lost  all  niceness,  and  was  no 
longer  squeamish  as  to  the  sort  of  food  I  might  swallow. 
In  fact,  1  could  have  eaten  anything  that  was  eatable. 
And  now  for  the  new  idea. 


CHAPTER  LI. 


A    GRAND    RAT-TRAP. 


For  some  time  I  have  said  nothing  of  the  rats.  Do 
not  fancy,  from  this  silence  about  them,  that  they  had 
gone  away  and  left  me  to  myself!  They  had  done  no 
such  thing.  They  were  around  and  about  me,  as  brisk 
as  ever,  and  as  troublesome.  Bolder  they  could  not 
have  been,  unless  they  had  positively  assailed  me  ;  and 
no  doubt  such  would  have  been  the  case,  had  I  exposed 
myself  to  their  attack. 

But,  whenever  I  moved,  my  first  care  had  been  to 
close  them  out,  by  means  of  walls,  which  I  constructed 
with  pieces  of  cloth,  and  thus  only  had  I  kept  them  at 
bay.  Now  and  then,  when  I  had  passed  from  place  to 
place,  I  could  hear  and  feel  them  all  around  me  ;  and 
twice  or  three  times  had  I  been  bitten  by  one  or  another. 
It  was  only  by  exercising  extreme  vigilance  and  caution, 
that  I  was  enabled  to  keep  them  from  attacking  me. 

This  parenthesis  will,  no  doubt,  lead  you  to  anticipate 
what  I  am  coming  to,  and  enable  you  to  guess  what  was 
the  idea  that  had  taken  possession  of  my  mind.  It  had 
occurred  to  me,  then,  that  instead  of  letting  the  rats  eat 
me,  1  should  eat  them.     That  was  it  exactly. 

I  felt  no  disgust  at  the  thought  of  such  food,  —  nor 


A    GRAND   RAT-TRAP.  285 

would  you,  if  placed  in  a  situation  similar  to  mine.  On 
the  contrary,  I  hailed  the  idea  as  a  Tvelcome  one,  since 
it  promised  to  enable  me  to  carry  out  my  plan  of  cutting 
my  way  up  to  the  deck,  —  in  other  words,  of  saving  my 
life.  Indeed,  as  soon  as  I  had  conceived  it,  I  felt  as  if  I 
was  actually  saved.  It  only  remained  to  carry  out  the 
intention. 

I  knew  there  were  many  rats,  —  too  many,  I  had 
thought  before,  —  but  now  I  cared  not  how  plentiful 
they  were.  At  all  events,  there  were  enough  of  them 
to  "  ration  "  me  for  a  long  while,  —  I  hoped  long  enough 
for  my  purpose.  The  question  was,  how  should  I  cap- 
ture them  ? 

I  could  think  of  no  other  way  but  by  feeling  for  them 
with  my  hands,  and  boldly  grasping  them,  one  at  a  time, 
and  so  squeezing  the  life  out  of  them.  I  had  already 
given  my  attention  to  trapping  them  without  success.  I 
had,  as  you  know,  killed  one,  by  the  only  ingenuity  I 
could  think  of,  and  likely  enough  I  might  get  one  or  two 
more  in  the  same  way,  but  it  was  just  as  likely  I  might 
not ;  or  even  if  I  succeeded  in  killing  one  or  two,  the 
rest  might  become  shy  of  me,  and  then  the  supply  would 
stop.  Better,  therefore,  to  consider  some  plan  for  cap- 
turing a  large  number  of  them  at  once,  and  so  have  a 
larder  that  would  last  me  for  ten  or  twelve  days.  Per- 
haps by  that  time  I  might  be  within  reach  of  more  pal- 
atable food.  This  would  be  wiser,  as  well  as  safer ; 
and  I  remained  for  a  long  while  considering  how  I 
should  make  a  wholesale  capture. 

Necessity  is  the  parent  of  invention  ;  and  I  suppose 
by  the  help  of  this,  more  than  from  any  real  genius  I 
possessed  for  contriving,  I  at  last  succeeded  in  .sketch- 


286  THE    BOY    TAR. 

ing  out  the  plan  of  a  rat-trap.  It  was  certainly  of 
the  simplest  kind,  but  I  felt  pretty  sure  it  would  be 
effective.  I  should  make  me  a  large  bag  out  of  the 
broadcbth,  which  I  could  easily  do,  by  cutting  a  piece 
of  the  proper  length,  and  sewing  up  the  two  sides  with 
a  string.  Strings  I  had  in  plenty,  for  the  rolls  of  cloth 
had  been  tied  with  strong  pieces  of  twine,  and  of  course 
these  were  at  hand.  I  should  use  the  blade  of  my 
knife  for  a  needle,  and  by  the  same  instrument  I  should 
be  enabled  to  reef  around  the  mouth  of  the  bag  a 
strong  piece  of  the  twine,  to  act  as  a  draw-string. 

I  not  only  should  do  all  this,  but  did  it  without  further 
delay ;  for  in  less  than  an  hour  I  had  my  bag  (net,  I 
called  it)  quite  finished,  draw-string  reefed  around  the 
mouth,  and  all  complete  for  action. 


CHAPTER  LII. 


A   WHOLESALE    TAKE. 


I  NOW  proceeded  to  the  further  carrying  out  of  my 
design,  —  which  had  all  been  matured  while  I  was 
working  at  the  bag.  The  next  step  was  the  "  setting 
of  the  net,"  and  this  was  done  as  follows  :  — 

I  first  cleared  away  the  loose  bundles  so  as  to  make  a 
large  space,  —  in  fact,  the  whole  of  my  original  apart- 
ment. This  I  was  able  to  accomplish  by  means  of  the 
empty  brandy-cask,  which  I  had  now  filled  with  broad- 
cloth. I  also  stopped  up  every  aperture  and  crevice  as 
before,  leaving  only  one  large  one,  —  that  which  I  knew 
the  rats  were  accustomed  to  use  as  their  principal  en- 
trance. 

Right  in  front  of  this  I  placed  ray  bag,  —  with  its 
opened  mouth  covering  the  whole  aperture,  —  and  with 
the  remainder  kept  in  a  state  of  extension  by  means 
of  several  props  of  sticks,  which  I  had  cut  for  the 
purpose  to  a  proper  length.  Then  placing  myself  on 
my  knees  by  the  mouth  of  the  bag,  I  held  it  wide 
open,  and  also  kept  the  draw-string  ready  between  my 
fingers.  In  this  attitude  I  awaited  the  coming  of  the 
rats. 

I  knew  they  would  enter  the  bag,  for  I  had  there 


288  THE   BOY   TAB. 

placed  a  bait  for  them.  This  bait  consisted  of  some 
crumbs  of  biscuit,  —  the  very  last  I  had,  —  as  sailors 
would  say,  the  "  last  shot  in  the  locker."  I  was  risking 
all  upon  the  cast ;  and  should  the  rats  eat  all  up  and 
then  escape,  I  should  not  have  a  scrap  left  me  for 
another  meal. 

I  knew  some  of  them  would  come,  but  I  was  in  doubt 
whether  they  would  arrive  in  numbers  sufficient  to  make 
a  good  haul.  I  feared  they  might  come  one  at  a  time, 
and  thus  carry  off  the  bait  piecemeal ;  and  to  prevent 
this,  I  had  ground  the  crumbs  to  very  dust.  This,  I 
thought,  would  delay  the  first  comers  until  a  large 
assemblage  had  got  into  the  bag,  and  then  it  was  my 
intention  to  cut  off"  their  retreat  by  drawing  the  string 
upon  them. 

Fortune  favored  me.  I  had  not  been  upon  my  knees 
more  than  a  minute,  when  I  heard  the  pattering  of  the 
little  paws  of  the  rats  outside,  and  also  the  occasional 
"  queek-queek  "  of  their  sharp  voices.  In  another  sec- 
ond or  two,  I  felt  the  bag  moving  between  my  fingers, 
and  knew  that  my  victims  were  creeping  inside.  The 
shaking  of  the  cloth  became  more  violent,  and  I  was 
able  to  perceive  that  large  numbers  were  crowding  in, 
eager  to  get  part  of  the  powdered  biscuits.  I  could 
feel  them  scrambling  about,  leaping  over  one  another, 
and  squealing  as  they  quarrelled. 

This  was  my  cue  for  drawing  the  string ;  and  in  the 
next  instant  I  had  it  pulled  all  taut,  and  the  mouth  of 
the  bag  gathered  close  and  firmly  tied. 

Not  a  rat  that  had  entered  got  out  again  ;  and  I  had 
the  satisfaction  to  find  that  the  bag  was  about  half  full 
of  these  savage  creatures. 


A   AVHOLESALE   TAKE.  289 

I  lost  no  time  in  taming  them,  however  ;  and  this  I 
effected  in  a  somewhat  original  manner. 

There  was  one  part  of  the  floor  of  mj  apartment 
that  was  level  and  firm.  Bj  removing  the  cloth  off  it, 
it  was  quite  hard,  —  being  the  oak  timbers  of  the  ship 
itself.  Upon  this  I  deposited  the  bag  of  rats,  and  then, 
laying  a  large  piece  of  deal  board  on  the  top,  I  mounted 
on  this  board,  upon  my  knees,  and  then  pressed  it  down- 
ward with  all  my  weight  and  strength. 

For  a  while  the  bag  underneath  felt  as  elastic  as  a 
spring  mattress,  and  heaved  upward  with  a  tendency  to 
roll  from  under  the  board,  but  I  replaced  the  latter  with 
my  hands,  and  then  pounced  upon  it  as  before.  There 
was,  no  doubt,  a  deal  of  kicking,  and  scrambling,  and 
biting  within  the  bag,  and  I  am  sure  there  was  plenty 
of  squealing,  for  that  I  heard.  I  gave  no  heed  to  such 
demonstrations,  but  kept  churning  on  till  every  motion 
had  ceased,  and  all  was  silence  underneath. 

I  now  ventured  to  take  up  the  bag,  and  examine  its 
contents.  I  was  gratified  at  the  wholesale  slaughter  I 
had  committed.  There  was  evidently  a  large  number 
of  rats  within  the  trap,  and  every  one  of  them  dead  as 
a  door-nail ! 

At  all  events,  none  of  them  seemed  to  be  stirring,  for 
when  I  held  the  bag  up  by  its  mouth,  it  hung  down 
perfectly  still,  and  there  was  neither  kick  nor  squeak 
inside  ;  and  therefore  I  took  it  for  granted  that  I  had 
killed  them  all. 

Notwithstanding  this  belief,  when  I  proceeded  to  count 
them,  I  inserted  my  hand  with  great  caution,  and  drew 
them  one  by  one  out  of  the  bag.  There  were  ten  of 
them  ! 

13 


290  THE   BOY   TAR. 

/-  ■ 

"  Ha !  ha  ! "  exclaimed  I,  apostrophizing  the  dend 
rats,  "  I've  got  you  at  last,  you  ugly  brutes !  and 
this  serves  you  right  for  the  trouble  you  have  put  me  to. 
If  one  good  turn  deserves  another,  I  suppose  so  does 
one  evil  one.  Had  you  let  me  and  mine  alone,  this 
ill  fortune  might  not  have  befallen  you.  But  you  left 
me  no  alternative.  You  ate  my  biscuits,  and,  to  save 
myself  from  starving,  I  am  compelled  to  eat  you  ! " 

This  apostrophe  ended,  I  commenced  skinning  one  of 
the  rats,  with  the  intention  of  dining  upon  him. 

You  may  fancy  that  I  anticipated  the  meal  with  a 
feeling  of  disgust,  but  in  this  you  would  be  greatly  mis- 
taken. Hunger  had  cured  me  of  all  daintiness.  I  had 
not  the  slightest  repugnance  for  the  food  of  which  I  was 
about  to  partake.  On  the  contrary,  I  longed  to  be  at  it, 
as  much  as  you  might  do  for  a  dinner  of  the  most  deli- 
cate viands. 

So  keen  was  my  hunger,  that  I  could  hardly  wait  till 
I  had  stripped  off  the  skin ;  and  five  minutes  after  this 
operation  was  finished,  I  had  bolted  the  rat  raw,  — 
body,  bones,  and  all ! 

If  you  are  anxious  to  know  how  it  tasted,  I  can  only 
tell  you  that  I  observed  nothing  disagreeable  about  it, 
no  more  than  if  it  had  been  the  leg  of  a  fowl,  or  a  slice 
off  the  most  delicate  mutton.  It  was  the  first  flesh-meat 
I  had  eaten  for  weeks,  and  this  may  have  added  to  my 
zest  for  such  food.  Certainly,  I  thought,  at  the  time, 
that  a  sweeter  morsel  had  never  gone  down  my  throat, 
and  no  longer  felt  wonder  at  what  books  had  told  me 
about  the  rat-eating  Laplanders. 


CHAPTER  Lin. 


ABOUT   FACE  1 


The  aspect  of  my  affairs  had  now  undergone  a  com- 
plete change  for  the  better.  Mj  larder  was  replenished 
with  store  enough  to  last  me  for  ten  days,  at  the  least,  — 
for  I  made  a  sort  of  resolution  that  my  future  ration 
should  be  one  rat  per  diem.  In  ten  days  what  might 
I  not  effect  ?  Surely  I  should  be  able  to  accomplish 
the  great  feat  which  I  ought  to  have  attempted  at  the 
first,  but  which,  as  ill  fortune  would  have  it,  I  had  hith- 
erto considered  impossible,  —  that  is,  to  cut  my  way  to 
the  deck. 

A  rat  a  day,  reflected  I,  will  not  only  keep  me  alive, 
but  restore  some  of  my  spent  strength  ;  and  laboring 
constantly  for  ten  days,  I  should  be  almost  certain  to 
reach  the  topmost  tier  of  the  cargo.  Perhaps  in  less 
time  ?  If  less,  all  the  better ;  but  certainly  in  ten  days 
I  might  get  through  them  all,  even  though  there  should 
be  ten  tiers  of  boxes  between  me  and  the  upper  deck. 

Such  were  the  new  hopes  with  which  the  successful 
rat-catching  had  inspired  me,  and  my  mind  was  restored 
to  a  state  of  confidence  and  equanimity  that  had  long 
been  a  stranger  to  it. 

I  had  one  apprehension  that  still  shghtly  troubled  me, 


292  THE  BOY  TAR. 

and  that  was  about  getting  through  the  cask.  It  was 
not  the  fear  of  the  time  it  might  take,  for  I  no  longer 
believed  that  I  should  be  pinched  for  time ;  but  I  was 
still  in  dread  lest  the  fumes  of  the  brandy  (which  inside 
the  cask  were  as  strong  as  ever)  might  again  overcome 
my  senses,  despite  all  my  resolution  to  guard  against 
a  too  long  exposure  to  them.  Even  when  I  had  en- 
tered the  cask  on  the  second  occasion,  it  was  as  much  as 
I  could  do  to  drag  myself  out  of  it  again. 

I  resolved,  however,  to  steel  myself  against  the  se- 
ductions of  the  potent  spirit  that  dwelt  within  the  great 
barrel,  and  retreat  before  I  felt  its  influence  too  strong 
to  be  resisted. 

Notwithstanding  that  I  was  now  more  confident  as 
regarded  time,  I  had  no  thought  of  wasting  it  in  idle- 
ness ;  and  as  soon  as  my  dinner  was  washed  down  by  a 
copious  libation  from  the  water-butt,  I  possessed  myself 
once  more  of  my  knife,  and  proceeded  towards  the  empty 
cask,  to  take  a  new  spell  at  enlarging  the  bung-hole. 

Ha  !  the  cask  was  not  empty.  It  was  full  of  cloth. 
In  the  excitement  of  trapping  the  "  vermin,"  I  had  for- 
gotten the  circumstance  of  my  having  placed  the  cloth 
within  the  empty  barrel. 

Of  course,  thought  I,  I  must  remove  it  again,  in  order 
to  make  room  for  my  work ;  and  lajdng  aside  the  knife, 
I  commenced  pulling  out  the  pieces. 

While  thus  engaged,  a  new  reflection  arose,  and  I 
asked  myself  some  questions,  to  the  following  effect :  — 

Why  am  I  removing  the  cloth  from  the  brandy-cask  ? 
Why  not  let  it  remain  there  ?  Why  try  to  go  through 
the  cask  at  all  ? 

Certainly  there  was  no  reason  why  I  should  proceed 


ABOUT   FACE.  293 

in  that  direction.  There  had  been,  at  an  earlier  period, 
—  while  I  was  only  searching  for  ibod,  and  not  thinking 
of  the  object  I  now  desired  and  hoped  to  accomplish,  — 
but  for  my  newly-conceived  enterprise,  there  was  no 
necessity  to  cut  through  the  cask  at  all.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  would  be  the  worst  direction  I  could  take.  It 
did  not  lie  in  the  line  which  would  lead  to  the  hatch- 
way, and  that  was  the  line  in  which  my  tunnel  ought  to 
point.  I  was  pretty  certain  as  to  the  direction  of  the 
hatch,  —  for  I  remembered  how  I  passed  from  it  to  the 
water-butt  when  I  first  came  into  the  hold. 

I  had  struck  sharply  to  the  right,  and  gone  in  a  nearly 
direct  line  for  the  end  of  the  butt.  All  these  little  points 
I  distinctly  remembered,  and  I  was  confident  that  my 
position  was  somewhere  near  the  middle  of  the  ship,  on 
the  side  which  sailors  would  call  the  "  starboard  beam." 
To  go  through  the  cask,  therefore,  would  lead  me  too 
far  aft  of  the  main  hatchway,  which  was  that  by  which 
I  had  come  down.  Moreover,  there  was  still  the  diffi- 
culty of  broaching  the  side  of  the  cask,  —  greatly  exag- 
gerated, of  course,  by  the  dangerous  atmosphere  I  should 
be  compelled  to  breathe  while  effecting  it. 

Why,  then,  should  I  attempt  it  at  all  ?  Why  not 
return,  and  proceed  once  more  in  the  direction  of  the 
boxes  ?  Circumstances  were  changed  since  I  was  last 
there.  I  could  now  find  vent  for  my  "  backwater,"  — 
since  the  empty  cask  would  serve  for  that,  in  one  case 
as  well  as  the  other.  Besides,  it  would  be  much  easier 
to  cut  through  the  deal  board  than  the  hard  oak ;  and, 
moreover,  I  had  made  some  progress  in  that,  —  the 
right,  —  direction  already.  Therefore,  considering  all 
things,  —  the  danger  as  well  as  the  difficulty,  —  I  came 


294  THE   BOY   TAR. 

to  the  conclusion  that,  by  tunnelhng  through  the  cask,  I 
would  be  heading  the  wrong  way  ;  and,  in  this  belief,  I 
turned  right  about,  determined  to  take  the  other. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  boxes,  I  repacked  the  cloth 
into  the  ca.>k,  and  added  more,  —  placing  it  piece  by 
piece,  with  sufficient  care,  and  afterwards  wedging  it  in 
as  tightly  as  my  strength  would  permit. 

I  was  considerate,  also,  to  return  my  nine  rats  to  the 
bag,  and  draw  the  string ;  for  I  suspected  that  I  had 
not  killed  all  the  rats  in  the  ship,  and  I  feared  that  the 
comrades  of  the  defunct  nine  might  take  a  fancy  to  eat 
their  old  shipmates.  This  I  had  been  told  was  not  an 
uncommon  habit  of  the  hideous  brutes,  and  I  determined 
to  guard  against  it,  —  so  far  as  my  victims  were  con- 
cerned. 

When  these  arrangements  were  completed,  I  swal- 
lowed a  fresh  cup  of  water,  and  crawled  once  more  into 
one  of  the  empty  boxes. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 


CONJECTURES. 


It  was  into  the  cloth-case  which  I  had  entered,  — 
that  one  which  lay  contiguous  to  the  box  that  had  con- 
tained the  biscuits.  It  was  from  it  I  determined  to  start 
with  mj  new  tunnel ;  and  I  had  two  reasons  for  making 
it  my  terminus  :  first,  because  I  believed  that  it  was 
situated  almost  in  a  direct  Ime  with  the  main  hatchway. 
For  that  matter,  so  too  was  the  biscuit-box ;  but  the 
latter  was  smaller  than  the  cloth-case,  and  therefore 
would  not  afford  me  so  much  room  to  carry  on  my 
work. 

The  second  reason,  however,  which  influenced  my 
choice,  was  of  more  importance.  I  had  already  ascer- 
tained that  another  cloth-case  stood  on  the  top  of  this 
one,  whereas  the  biscuit-box  had  bales  of  linen,  —  both 
on  the  top,  and  at  that  end  through  which  I  should  have 
to  make  way.  Now,  I  was  convinced  that  I  could  much 
more  easily  remove  the  pieces  of  cloth  than  the  hard 
rolls  of  linen,  —  indeed  I  was  not  certain  that  these 
could  be  stirred  at  all,  —  and  therefore  it  was  that  I 
made  choice  of  the  cloth-case. 

Once  inside  it,  you  will  suppose  that  I  went  immedi- 
ately to  work  ;  but  no.     I  remained  for  a  considerable 


296  THE   BOY   TAE. 

time  without  moving  either  hand  or  arm.  I  was  not 
idle,  however,  for  all  that,  but  busy  with  all  the  faculties 
of  my  mind  in  full  action. 

In  fact,  the  plan  I  had  just  conceived,  had  awakened 
in  me  a  sort  of  new  energy ;  and  the  hopes  of  safety 
that  now  presented  themselves  were  as  strong,  and 
stronger,  than  any  I  had  entertained  since  the  first  hour 
of  my  captivity.  The  prospect,  too,  was  far  brighter. 
Even  after  my  discovery  of  the  butt  of  water  and  box 
of  biscuits,  —  even  when  I  believed  there  would  be  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  both  to  last  out  the  voyage,  there 
was  still  the  long  imprisonment  before  me,  —  months  of 
silent  and  wretched  solitude  to  be  endured. 

Now  it  was  different.  In  a  i'ew  days,  if  fortune 
favored  me,  I  should  once  more  gaze  upon  the  bright 
sky,  —  once  more  breathe  the  free  air  of  heaven,  — 
once  more  look  upon  the  faces  of  men,  and  listen  to 
the  sweetest  of  all  sounds,  —  the  voices  of  my  fellow- 
creatures. 

I  felt  like  one  long  lost  in  the  desert,  who  beholds 
afar  off  upon  the  horizon  some  signs  of  the  habitation  of 
civilized  men.  Perhaps  the  dark  outlines  of  trees,  — 
perhaps  the  blue  smoke  rising  over  some  distant  fire,  — 
but  something  that  produces  within  him  a  hope  that  he 
will  soon  be  restored  to  the  association  of  his  fellow-men. 

Just  such  a  hope  had  sprung  up  within  me,  —  every 
moment  becoming  stronger,  till  it  amounted  almost  to  a 
feeling  of  certainty. 

It  was  perhaps  this  very  confidence  that  kept  me 
from  rushing  too  hastily  towards  the  execution  of  my 
plan.  It  was  a  matter  of  too  much  importance  to  be 
trifled    with,  —  an   enterprise    too    grand    either  to  be 


CONJECTURES.  297 

commenced  or  carried  through  in  a  reckless  or  hurried 
manner.  Some  unforeseen  object  might  become  an 
obstacle,  —  some  accident  might  arise,  which  would  lead 
to  failure  and  ruin. 

To  avoid  all  chances  of  this,  therefore,  I  resolved  to 
proceed  with  as  much  caution  as  I  could  command ; 
and  before  making  any  commencement  of  the  work 
designed,  to  consider  it  in  all  its  bearings.  For  this 
purpose,  I  sat  down  within  the  cloth-case,  and  yielded 
up  my  whole  power  of  thought  to  an  examination  of 
my  intended  task. 

One  thing  appeared  very  clear  to  me,  —  that  the  task 
would  be  one  of  very  considerable  magnitude.  As 
already  stated,  I  knew  that  I  was  near  the  bottom  of 
the  hold ;  and  I  was  not  ignorant  of  the  great  depth  of 
the  hold  of  a  large  ship.  I  remembered  that  in  slipping 
down  the  rope-tackle,  it  was  as  much  as  I  could  do  to 
hold  on  till  I  had  reached  the  bottom  ;  and  a  glance 
upward  after  I  had  reached  it,  showed  the  hatchway  a 
vast  height  above  me.  I  reasoned,  then,  that  if  all  that 
space  was  filled  with  merchandise  quite  up  to  the  hatch, 
—  and  no  doubt  it  was,  —  then  I  should  have  a  long 
tunnel  to  make. 

Besides,  I  should  not  only  have  to  cut  upwards,  but 
also  in  a  direction  leading  towards  the  hatchway,  —  that 
is,  nearly  half  across  the  breadth  of  the  ship.  This  last 
did  not  trouble  me  so  much  ;  for  I  was  pretty  sure  I 
would  not  be  able  to  go  in  a  direct  line,  on  account  of 
the  nature  of  the  packages  I  should  encounter.  A  bale 
of  linen,  for  instance,  or  some  like  unwieldly  substance, 
would  have  to  be  got  round  ;  and,  at  each  stage,  I 
should  have  a  choice  either  to  proceed  upward  or  in 

13* 


298  THE   BOY   TAR. 

a  horizontal  direction,  —  whichever  might  appear  the 
easiest. 

In  this  way  I  should  rise  by  steps,  as  it  were,  ob- 
liquing always  in  the  direction  of  the  hatchway 

Neither  the  number  of  the  packages  I  might  have  to 
burrow  through,  nor  the  distance,  troubled  me  so  much 
as  the  materials  which  they  might  contain.  It  was  this 
thought  which  gave  me  the  most  concern  ;  for  the  diffi- 
culty would  be  greater  or  less  according  to  the  materials 
I  should  have  to  remove  out  of  my  way.  Should  many 
of  the  articles  prove  to  be  of  that  kind,  that,  when  taken 
out  of  the  cases,  would  become  more  bulky,  and  could 
not  be  compressed  again,  then  I  should  have  to  dread 
the  "  backwater ;  "  and  in  reality  this  was  one  of  the 
worst  of  my  apprehensions.  I  had  experienced  already 
what  a  misfortune  it  would  be,  since,  but  for  the  lucky 
circumstance  of  the  brandy-cask,  the  plan  I  was  now 
about  to  attempt  would  have  been  altogether  impracti- 
cable. 

Linen  I  dreaded  more  than  any  other  material.  It 
would  be  more  difficult  to  get  through,  and  when  re- 
moved from  its  close-pressed  bales,  could  not  possibly 
be  repacked  in  so  small  a  space.  I  could  only  hope, 
therefore,  that  the  cargo  contained  a  very  small  quantity 
of  this  beautiful  and  useful  fabric. 

I  thought  over  many  things  which  might  be  com- 
prised in  that  great  wooden  chamber.  I  even  tried  to 
remember  what  sort  of  a  country  Peru  was,  and  what 
articles  of  commerce  would  be  most  likely  to  be  carried 
there  from  England.  But  I  could  make  very  little  of 
this  train  of  reasoning,  —  so  ignorant  was  I  of  commer- 
cial geography.     One  thing  was  certain :  it  was  what  is 


CONJECTURES.  299 

called  an  "  assorted  cargo,"  for  such  are  the  cargoes 
usually  sent  to  the  seaports  of  the  Pacific.  I  might, 
therefore,  expect  to  encounter  a  little  of  this,  and  a  little 
of  that,  —  in  short,  everything  produced  in  our  great 
manufacturing  cities. 

After  I  had  spent  nearly  half  an  hour  in  this  sort  of 
conjecturing,  I  began  to  perceive  that  it  could  serve  no 
purpose.  It  would  be  only  guesswork,  at  best,  and  it 
was  evident  I  could  not  tell  what  quality  of  metal  the 
mine  contained,  until  I  had  first  sunk  my  shaft. 

The  moment  to  commence  that  labor  had  arrived  ; 
and,  throwing  reflection  for  the  time  behind  me,  I 
betook  myself  to  the  task. 


CHAPTER  LV. 

THE    LUXURY    OF    STANDING   ERECT. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  my  former  expedition 
into  the  two  boxes  of  cloth,  —  while  in  hopes  of  finding 
more  biscuits,  or  something  else  that  was  eatable,  —  I 
had  ascertained  the  sort  of  packages  that  surrounded 
them,  as  well  as  those  that  were  placed  above.  It  will 
be  remembered,  also,  that  on  that  end  of  the  first  cloth- 
case  which  lay  towards  the  hatchway,  I  had  found  a 
bale  of  linen  ;  but  on  the  top  of  the  same  case  rested 
another  of  cloth,  apparently  similar  to  itself.  Into  this 
one  on  the  top  I  had  already  effected  an  entrance ;  and 
therefore  I  could  now  count  upon  having  made  so  much 
way  upward.  By  emptying  the  upper  case  of  its  con- 
tents, I  should  thus  have  gained  one  clear  stage  in  the 
right  direction  ;  and  considering  the  time  and  trouble  it 
took  to  hew  my  way  through  the  side  of  one  box,  and 
then  through  the  adjacent  side  of  another,  this  portion 
of  my  work  already  accomplished  was  a  matter  of  con- 
gratulation. I  say  already  accomplished,  for  it  only 
remained  to  drag  down  the  pieces  of  cloth  contained  in 
the  upper  box,  and  stow  them  away  to  the  rear. 

To  do  this,  then,  was  the  first  act  of  my  new  enter- 
prise, and  I  proceeded  to  its  execution  without  further 
delay. 


THE   LUXURY   OF   STANDING   ERECT.  301 

After  all,  it  did  not  prove  a  very  easy  task.  I  expe- 
rienced the  same  difficulty  as  before,  in  detaching  the 
pieces  of  cloth  from  one  another,  and  drawing  them 
forth  from  their  tightly-fitting  places.  However,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  them  clear ;  and  then  taking  them, 
one  at  a  time,  I  carried,  or  rather  pushed  them  before 
me,  until  I  had  got  them  to  the  very  farthest  corner  of 
my  quarters,  by  the  end  of  the  old  brandy-cask.  There 
I  arranged  them,  not  in  any  loose  or  negligent  manner, 
but  with  the  greatest  precision  and  care  ;  packing  them 
into  the  smallest  bulk,  and  leaving  no  empty  corners 
between  them  and  the  timbers  big  enough  to  have  given 
room  to  a  rat. 

Not  that  I  cared  about  rats  sheltering  themselves 
there.  I  no  longer  troubled  my  head  about  them  ;  and 
although  I  had  reason  to  know  that  there  were  still  some 
of  them  in  the  neighborhood,  my  late  sanguinary  razzia 
among  them  had  evidently  rendered  them  afraid  to  come 
within  reach  of  me.  The  terrible  screeching  which  their 
companions  had  uttered,  while  I  was  pounding  the  life 
out  of  them,  had  rung  loudly  all  through  the  hold  of  the 
ship,  and  had  acted  upon  those  of  the  survivors,  that  had 
heard  it,  as  a  salutary  warning.  No  doubt  they  were 
greatly  frightened  by  what  they  had  heard  ;  and  per- 
ceiving that  I  was  a  dangerous  fellow-passenger,  would 
be  likely  to  give  me  a  "  wide  berth "  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  voyage. 

It  was  not  any  thought  about  the  rats,  then,  that 
caused  me  to  calk  up  every  corner  so  closely ;  but 
simply  with  the  view  of  economizing  space,  —  for,  as 
I  have  already  said,  this  was  the  point  about  which 
I  had  the  greatest  apprehensions. 


302  THE   BOY   TAR. 

Proceeding,  then,  in  this  vigorous  but  careful  manner, 
I  at  length  emptied  the  upper  box,  and  finished  by  stow- 
ing away  its  contents  behind  me.  I  had  managed  the 
latter  to  my  entire  satisfaction,  and  I  was  under  the 
belief  that  I  had  repacked  the  pieces  of  cloth  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  lose  scarcely  the  bulk  of  one  of  them  of 
my  valuable  space. 

The  result  had  an  encouraging  effect  upon  me,  and 
produced  a  cheerfulness  of  spirits  to  which  I  had  long 
been  a  stranger.  In  this  pleasant  mood  I  mounted  into 
the  upper  box,  —  the  one  which  I  had  just  cleared, — 
and  after  placing  one  of  the  loose  boards  across  the  bot- 
tom, which  had  been  partially  removed,  I  sat  down 
upon  it,  leaving  my  legs  to  hang  over  into  the  empty 
space  below.  In  this  attitude,  which  was  entirely  new 
to  me,  and  in  which  I  had  plenty  of  room  to  sit  upright 
and  at  my  ease,  I  found  a  new  source  of  gratification. 
Confined  so  long  within  a  chamber  whose  greatest 
height  was  little  over  three  feet,  while  my  own  was 
four,  I  had  been  compelled  to  stoop  in  a  crouching  atti- 
tude whenever  I  attempted  to  stand  ;  and  I  was  even 
obliged  to  sit  with  my  legs  bent,  and  my  knees  on  a 
level  with  my  chin.  These  inconveniences  are  but 
slight,  when  one  has  only  to  suffer  them  for  a  short 
while  ;  but  under  long  endurance,  they  become  irksome 
and  even  painful.  It  was,  therefore,  not  only  a  release, 
but  a  great  luxury  to  me,  to  find  that  I  had  room 
enough  to  sit  upright,  and  with  my  legs  at  full  stretch. 
Better  still,  I  could  also  stand  erect,  for  the  two  boxes 
now  communicated  with  each  other,  and  it  was  full  six 
feet  from  the  bottom  of  the  one  to  the  top  of  the  other. 
Of  course,  my  own  height  being  only  four,  left  two  feet 


THE   LUXURY    OF    STANDING   ERECT.  o03 

of  space  between  the  crown  of  my  head  and  the  ceiling 
of  my  new  apartment,  which  I  could  not  even  touch 
with  the  tips  of  my  fingers. 

Perceiving  my  advantages,  I  did  not  remain  long 
seated.  I  had  gone  into  the  upper  box,  chiefly  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  survey  of  its  dimensions,  and  also 
to  ascertain  whether  I  had  quite  cleared  out  its  con- 
tents ;  .and  then  I  had  sat  down  as  described.  But  I 
was  not  long  in  this  attitude,  when  it  occurred  to  me 
that  I  could  enjoy  a  "stand  up"  still  better;  and  with 
this  idea  I  slipped  back  again  till  my  feet  rested  on  the 
bottom  of  the  lower  case,  while  my  head,  neck,  and 
shoulders  remained  within  the  compartment  of  the 
upper.  This  gave  me  an  attitude  perfectly  erect,  and  I 
was  not  slow  in  perceiving  that  this  was  for  me  the  true 
position  of  rest.  Contrary  to  the  usual  habit  of  human 
bipeds,  standing  was  to  me  easier  than  sitting ;  but  there 
was  nothing  odd  about  the  thing,  when  it  is  remembered 
how  many  long  days  and  nights  I  had  spent  either  seated 
or  on  my  knees  ;  and  I  now  longed  to  assume  that  proud 
attitude  which  distinguishes  mankind  from  the  rest  of 
creation.  In  truth,  I  felt  it  to  be  a  positive  luxury  to 
be  permitted  once  more  to  stand  at  full  height ;  and  for 
a  long  while  I  remained  in  this  attitude  without  moving 
a  limb. 

I  was  not  idle,  however.  My  mind  was  active  as 
ever  ;  and  the  subject  with  which  it  was  occupied  was 
the  direction  in  which  I  should  next  carry  my  tunnel,  — 
whether  still  upward,  through  the  lid  of  the  newly-emp- 
tied case,  or  whether  through  the  end  that  lay  toward 
the  hatchway  ?  The  choice  lay  between  2^1iorizontal  and 
a  vertical  direction.     There  were  reasons  in  favor  of 


304  THE   BOY   TAR. 

each,  —  and  reasons  also  that  influenced  me  against  one 
and  the  other,  —  and  to  weigh  these  reasons,  and  finally 
determine  upon  which  direction  I  should  take,  was  a 
matter  of  so  much  importance,  that  it  was  a  good  while 
before  I  could  bring  my  plans  to  a  satisfactory  conclu- 
siou. 


CHAPTER   LYI. 


SHIP-SHAPE. 


There  was  one  reason  that  would  have  influenced 
me  to  cut  upward  through  the  lid.  It  was,  that  bj  tak- 
ing that  direction,  I  should  arrive  the  sooner  at  the  top 
of  all  the  packages  ;  and  once  there,  I  might  find  a 
vacant  space  between  them  and  the  timbers  of  the  deck, 
through  which  I  could  crawl  at  once  to  the  hatchway. 
This  would  give  me  less  tunnelling  to  do,  since  the  ver- 
tical line  would  be  shorter  than  that  passing  diagonally 
to  the  hatch.  In  fact,  every  foot  gained  in  a  horizontal 
direction  would  appear  to  be  no  gain  at  all,  since  there 
would  still  be  the  same  height  to  be  reached  vertically. 

It  was  highly  probable  there  was  a  space  between 
the  cargo  and  the  under-side  of  the  deck  timbers ;  and 
in  the  hope  that  this  might  be  so,  I  made  up  my  mind 
not  to  proceed  in  the  horizontal  direction  unless  when  I 
should  be  forced  out  of  the  other  by  some  obstacle  that 
I  could  not  remove.  For  all  this,  I  resolved  to  make 
my  first  cut  horizontally  ;  and  three  reasons  guided  me 
in  this  resolve.  The  first  was,  that  the  end-boards-  of 
the  case  appeared  somewhat  loose,  as  if  they  could  be 
easily  got  out  of  the  way.  The  second  was,  that  in 
thrusting  the  blade  of  my  knife  through  the  slits  of  the 


306  THE   BOY   TAR. 

lid,  it  touched  against  a  soft  but  stiff  substance,  which 
had  all  the  "feel"  of  one  of  those  dreaded  packages 
which  had  hitherto  proved  so  often  an  obstacle,  and 
which  I  had  already  most  bitterly  anathematized. 

I  tried  the  slit  in  several  places,  and  still  touched 
what  appeared  to  be  a  bale  of  linen.  At  the  end  of  the 
case  I  made  trial  also,  but  there  it  was  wood  that  resisted 
the  point  of  my  blade.  It  appeared  to  be  deal,  and  the 
same  as  the  other  boxes  were  made  of ;  but  even  had  it 
proved  to  be  timber  of  the  hardest  kind,  it  would  be 
easier  to  cut  a  hole  through  it  than  through  a  bale  of 
linen. 

This  reason  would  have  been  of  itself  sufficient  to 
have  influenced  me  to  choose  the  horizontal  direction  ; 
but  there  was  still  a  third  that  offered  itself  to  my  view. 

This  third  reason  will  not  be  so  easily  understood  by 
those  who  are  unacquainted  with  the  interior  of  the 
hold  of  a  ship,  —  particularly  such  ships  as  were  built 
in  the  time  of  which  I  am  speaking,  —  which  you  will 
remember  was  a  great  many  years  ago.  In  ships  of 
the  proper  shaj)e,  —  such  as  the  Americans  have  taught 
us  to  build,  —  the  reason  I  am  about  to  give  would  not 
have  any  application. 

But  I  shall  enter  into  particulars,  so  that  you  may 
comprehend  it ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  in  this  trifling 
digression  from  the  thread  of  my  narrative,  I  hope, 
young  friends,  to  teach  you  a  lesson  of  political  wisdom 
that  may  benefit  both  you  and  your  country  when  you 
are  old  enough  to  practise  it. 

I  hold  the  doctrine,  —  or,  I  should  rather  say,  I  have 
long  been  aware  of  the  fact  (for  there  is  no  "  doctrine  " 
about  it),  that  the  study  which  is  usually  styled  Politi- 


SHIP-SHAPE.  307 

CAL  Science,  is  the  most  important  study  that  ever 
occupied  the  attention  of  men.  It  embraces  and  influ- 
ences all  other  existences  in  the  social  world.  Every 
art,  science,  or  manufacture  hinges  upon  this,  and  de- 
pends upon  it  for  success  or  failure.  Even  morality 
itself  is  but  a  corollary  of  the  political  state,  and  crime 
a  consequence  of  its  bad  organization.  The  political 
status  of  a  country  is  the  main  cause  of  its  happiness  or 
its  misery.  In  no  case  has  government  reached  any- 
thing approaching  to  justice  ;  hence,  there  is  no  people 
who  ever  has,  as  a  whole,  enjoyed  ordinary  happiness. 
Poverty,  misery,  crime,  degradation,  are  the  lot  of  the 
majority  in  every  land,  —  except  one,  —  and  in  that  one 
there  is  yet  nothing  near  perfection  in  government,  — 
only  a  step  in  advance. 

As  I  have  said,  then,  the  laws  of  a  country,  —  in 
other  words,  its  political  condition,  —  influence  almost 
everything :  the  ship  we  sail  in,  the  carriage  we  ride  in, 
the  implements  of  our  labor,  the  utensils  we  employ  in 
our  dwellings,  even  the  comfort  of  our  dwellings  them- 
selves. Nay  more,  and  of  still  greater  importance,  they 
influence  ourselves,  —  the  shape  of  our  bodies,  and  the 
disposition  of  our  souls.  The  dash  of  a  despot's  pen,  or 
a  foolish  act  passed  in  Parliament,  which  might  appear 
to  have  no  personal  application  to  any  one,  may  exert  a 
secret  and  invisible  influence,  that,  in  one  single  genera- 
tion, will  make  a  whole  people  wicked  in  soul  and  igno- 
ble in  person. 

I  could  prove  what  I  state  with  the  certainty  of  a 
geometric  truth,  but  I  have  no  time  now.  Enough  if  I 
give  you  an  illustration.     Hear  it,  then  :  — 

Many  years  ago  a  law  was  passed  in  the  British  Par- 


308  THE   BOY   TAR. 

liament  for  the  taxation  of  ships,  —  for  they,  like  every- 
thing else,  must  pay  for  their  existence.  There  was  a 
difficulty  how  to  proportion  this  tax.  It  would  scarcely 
be  just  to  make  the  owner  of  a  poor  little  schooner  pay 
the  enormous  sura  required  from  him  who  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  grand  ship  of  two  thousand  tons.  It  would 
at  once  eat  up  the  profits  of  the  lesser  craft,  and  swamp 
her  altogether.  How,  then,  was  this  difficulty  to  be  got 
over  ?  A  reasonable  solution  appeared.  Tax  each 
vessel  in  proportion  to  her  tonnage. 

The  scheme  was  adopted ;  but  then  another  difficulty 
presented  itself.  How  was  this  proportion  to  be  ob- 
tained ?  It  was  by  hulk  that  the  ships  were  to  be  taxed ; 
but  tonnage  is  weight,  not  bulk.  How,  then,  was  this 
new  difficulty  to  be  got  over  ?  Simply  by  taking  some 
standard  size  as  the  weight  of  a  ton,  and  then  ascertain- 
ing how  many  of  these  sizes  the  vessel  would  contain. 
In  fact,  after  all,  it  came  to  measurement,  not  weight. 

Next  came  the  idea  as  to  how  the  measurement  was 
to  be  made,  so  that  it  would  exhibit  the  relative  propor- 
tions of  ships  ;  and  that  was  very  fittingly  done  by 
ascertaining  in  each  the  length  of  keel,  the  breadth  of 
beam,  and  the  depth  of  the  hold.  These  three,  when 
multiplied  together,  will  give  relative  sizes  of  ships,  if 
these  ships  he  properly  constructed. 

A  law  was  thus  obtained  sufficiently  just  for  taxation 
purposes,  and  you  would  think  (if  you  are  a  superficial 
thinker)  that  this  law  could  in  no  way  exert  any  bad 
influence,  except  on  those  who  had  the  tax  to  pay. 

Not  so ;  that  simple,  unsuspicious-looking  law  has 
caused  more  evil  to  the  human  race,  more  waste  of  time 
and  loss  of  hfe,  more  consumption  of  human  means, 


SHIP-SHAPE.  309 

than  would  buy  up  at  the  present  moment  all  the  sla- 
very existing  in  the  world  ! 

How  has  it  done  this  ?  You  will  ask  the  question 
with  surprise,  I  have  no  doubt. 

Simply,  then,  by  its  not  only  having  retarded  the 
progress  of  improvement  in  ship-building,  —  one  of  the 
most  important  arts  in  the  possession  of  man,  —  but 
actually  by  its  having  thrown  the  art  hachward  by  hun- 
dreds of  years.  And  thus  came  the  evil  to  pass :  The 
owner,  —  or  he  who  was  to  be  the  owner,  —  of  a  new 
ship,  seeing  no  means  of  avoiding  the  heavy  tax,  was 
desirous  of  reducing  it  as  much  as  possible,  —  for  dis- 
honesty of  this  kind  is  the  certain  and  natural  result  of 
over-taxation.  He  goes  to  the  ship-builder  ;  he  orders 
him  to  build  a  vessel  with  such  and  such  measurements 
of  keel,  beam,  and  depth  of  hold,  —  ih  other  words,  of 
such  tonnage  as  will  be  required  to  pay  a  certain  amount 
of  tax.  But  he  does  not  stop  there  ;  he  desires  the  build- 
er, if  possible,  to  make  the  vessel  otherwise  of  such 
capacity  that  she  will  actually  contain  a  third  more  of 
measured  tonnage  than  that  for  which  the  tax  is  to  be 
paid.  This  will  lighten  his  tax  upon  the  whole,  and 
thus  enable  him  to  cheat  the  government  that  has  put 
such  a  grievous  impost  upon  his  enterprise. 

Is  it  possible  to  build  a  ship  of  the  kind  he  requires  ? 
Quite  so  ;  and  the  ship-builder  knows  he  can  accomplish 
it  by  swelling  out  the  vessel  at  the  bows,  and  bellying 
her  out  at  the  sides,  and  broadening  her  at  the  stern, 
and  altogether  making  her  of  such  a  ridiculous  shape, 
that  she  will  move  slowly,  and  become  the  grave  of 
many  a  hapless  mariner.  The  ship-builder  not  only 
knows  that  this  can  be  done,  but,  complying  with  the 


310  THE   BOY   TAR. 

wishes  of  the  merchant-owner,  he  does  it,  and  has  done 
it  for  so  long  a  period  that  he  has  grown  to  beheve  that 
this  clumsy  structure  is  the  true  shape  of  a  ship,  and 
would  not,  and  could  not,  build  any  other.  Nay,  still 
more  lamentable  to  state :  this  awkward  form  has 
so  grown  into  his  thoughts,  and  become  part  of  his 
belief,  that  after  the  foolish  law  is  repealed,  it  will  take 
long,  long  years  to  eradicate  the  deception  from  his 
mind.  In  fact,  a  new  generation  of  ship-builders  will 
have  to  be  waited  for,  before  ships  will  appear  of  a 
proper  and  convenient  form.  Fortunately,  that  new 
generation  has  already  sprung  up  beyond  the  Atlantic, 
and  by  their  aid  we  shall  get  out  of  this  hundred  years* 
dilemma  a  little  sooner.  Even  they  have  been  half  a 
century  in  arriving  at  what  is  yet  far  from  perfection  in 
the  art ;  but,  unsaddled  by  the  incubus  of  the  tax,  they 
have  been  looking  at  the  fishes  in  the  sea,  and  drawing 
a  few  ideas  from  the  mechanism  of  nature ;  and  hence 
their  present  superiority. 

Now  you  will  better  understand  what  I  mean,  by  the 
assertion  that  political  science  is  the  most  important 
study  that  can  occupy  the  minds  of  men. 


CHAPTER  LVII. 

A   VERY    GRAND    OBSTACLE. 

The  good  ship  Inca,  then,  was,  like  most  others,  built 
to  the  merchants'  order.  She  was  "  pigeon-breasted," 
and  bulged  out  along  the  sides  in  such  a  fashion,  that 
her  hold  was  far  wider  than  her  beam  ;  and,  looking  up 
from  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  the  sides  appeared  to  curve 
towards  each  other,  and  converge  over  you  like  a  roof. 
I  knew  that  this  was  the  shape  of  the  Inca,  —  for  it 
was  then  the  universal  shape  of  merchant  vessels,  and  I 
was  somewhat  used  to  noticing  ships  of  all  kinds  that 
came  into  our  bay. 

I  have  said  that,  while  trying  through  the  slits  of  the 
top  of  the  box  with  my  knife,  I  felt  something  soft, 
which  I  took  to  be  a  bale  of  linen  ;  but  I  had  also 
noticed  that  it  did  not  extend  over  the  whole  lid.  On 
the  contrary,  there  was  about  a  foot  at  the  end  —  that 
end  contiguous  to  the  ship's  timbers  —  where  I  could 
feel  nothing.  There  were  two  slits,  and  I  had  run  my 
blade  through  each  without  touching  any  substance, 
either  hard  or  soft.  I  concluded,  therefore,  that  there 
was  nothing  there,  and  that  about  a  foot  of  space  behind 
the  bale  of  linen  was  empty. 

This  was  easily  explained.    The  bale,  standing  on  the 


312  THE    BOY    TAR. 

two  large  cloth-cases,  was  at  that  height  where  the  side 
of  the  ship  began  to  curve  inwards  ;  and  as  its  top  would 
lie  in  contact  with  the  timbers  higher  up,  the  bottom 
angle  would  evidently  be  thrown  out  from  them  to  the 
distance  of  a  foot  or  so,  thus  leaving  a  three-cornered 
space  quite  empty,  being  only  large  enough  to  hold 
small  packages  of  goods. 

I  reasoned,  therefore,  that  if  I  w^ere  to  proceed  ver- 
tically upward,  I  should  soon  come  in  contact  with  the 
side  timbers  of  the  ship,  —  constantly  curving  inward 
as  high  as  the  deck  itself,  —  and  that  I  should  meet 
with  many  obstacles,  such  as  small  packages,  which  I 
knew  would  be  more  difficult  to  deal  with  than  large 
cases  and  boxes.  For  this  reason,  then,  —  but  more 
for  the  others  already  assigned,  — I  came  to  the  deter- 
mination to  make  my  next  move  in  a  horizontal  direc- 
tion. 

You  will  perhaps  wonder  that  I  should  have  taken  so 
much  pains  to  determine  this  point ;  but  when  you  reflect 
upon  the  time  and  labor  which  it  required  to  cut  through 
the  side  of  a  box,  and  then  through  the  adjacent  side 
of  the  next,  —  in  short,  to  make  a  "  stage  "  in  advance, 
—  when  you  reflect  that  a  whole  day  might  be  so  occu- 
pied, you  will  then  perceive  how  important  it  was  not  to 
act  rashly,  but,  if  possible,  to  proceed  in  the  right  direc- 
tion. 

After  all,  I  was  not  quite  so  long  in  choosing  which 
way  to  go,  as  I  have  here  been  in  narrating  ray  reflec- 
tions about  it.  It  only  required  a  few  minutes  for  me  to 
make  up  my  mind ;  but  I  was  so  pleased  at  being  once 
more  on  my  legs,  that  I  remained  standing  for  nearly 
half  an  hour. 


A    VERY    GRAND    OBSTACLE.  313 

When  sufficiently  rested  by  this,  I  placed  my  arms 
inside  the  upper  case ;  and  then,  drawing  myself  up, 
prepared  to  go  on  with  my  work. 

I  experienced  a  thrill  of  joy  as  I  found  myself  in 
this  upper  box.  I  was  now  in  the  second  tier  of  the 
packages,  and  more  than  six  feet  from  the  bottom  of 
the  hold.  I  was  full  three  feet  higher  than  I  had  yet 
been  ;  three  feet  nearer  to  the  deck  and  the  sky,  —  to 
my  fellow-creatures,  —  to  liberty  ! 

On  minutely  examining  the  end  of  the  case  through 
which  I  intended  to  make  an  aperture,  I  was  further 
joyed  to  find  that  this  part  of  my  w^ork  would  not  be 
difficult.  One  board  was  already  loose,  —  the  looseness 
having  been  caused  by  my  tearing  out  the  large  piece 
at  the  bottom.  Moreover,  the  blade  of  my  knife  told 
me  that  the  object  that  was  beyond  did  not  stand  close 
up  to  the  case,  but  was  several  inches  from  it.  In  fact, 
I  could  only  just  reach  it  with  the  tip  of  the  blade. 
This  was  a  manifest  advantage.  I  should  be  able,  by  a 
strong  push  or  kick,  to  start  the  board  outward,  and 
then  dispose  of  it  on  one  side  or  the  other  between  the 
two  packages. 

And  this  I  finally  succeeded  in  doing.  Booted  for 
the  purpose,  I  laid  myself  back,  and  then  commenced 
beating  a  tattoo  with  my  heels. 

In  a  short  while  the  "  scranching  "  sound  announced 
that  the  hoops  and  nails  were  giving  way;  and  after 
another  kick  or  two  the  board  flew  out,  and  slipped 
down  between  the  boxes  quite  out  of  my  reach. 

I  was  not  slow  in  thrusting  my  hands  through  the 
aperture  thus  made,  and  endeavoring  to  ascertain  what 
sort  of  an  article  was  to  come  next ;  but  though  I  could 
11 


314  THE   BOY   TAR. 

feel  a  broad  surface  of  rough  plank,  I  was  unable  to 
make  out  what  sort  of  a  package  it  was. 

I  knocked  out  another  piece  from  the  end  of  the 
cloth-case,  and  then  a  third,  —  which  was  all  there  was 
of  it,  —  so  that  I  had  now  the  whole  end  open  before 
me. 

This  gave  me  a  fine  opportunity  to  explore  beyond, 
and  I  continued  my  examination.  To  my  surprise,  I 
found  that  the  broad  surface  of  rough  deal  extended  in 
every  direction  beyond  my  reach.  It  rose  vertically, 
like  a  wall,  not  only  covering  the  whole  end  of  the  cloth- 
case,  but  stretching  beyond  it,  upward  and  on  both  sides, 
—  how  far  I  could  not  tell,  but  so  far  that,  after  thrusting 
my  arms  up  to  the  elbows,  I  could  feel  neither  edge  nor 
corner. 

This,  then,  was  certainly  a  case  of  different  shape 
and  size  from  any  I  had  yet  encountered ;  but  what 
kind  of  goods  it  contained,  I  had  not  the  slightest 
idea.  Cloth  it  was  not  likely  to  be,  else  it  would  have 
resembled  the  other  cases  ;  nor  yet  linen,  —  and  there 
was  some  gratification  in  knowing  it  could  not  be 
this. 

In  order  to  ascertain  what  it  really  was,  I  inserted 
my  blade  through  the  slits  of  the  rough  deal.  I  felt 
something  like  paper ;  but  I  could  perceive  that  this 
was  only  an  outside  covering,  for  immediately  under  it 
a  hard  substance  resisted  the  point  of  my  blade, — 
almost  as  hard  and  smooth  as  marble.  By  pressing  the 
knife  forcibly,  however,  I  could  feel  that  it  was  not 
stone,  but  wood,  —  some  kind  that  was  very  hard,  and 
that  appeared  to  be  polished  finely  on  the  surface. 
When  I  struck  suddenly  against  it,  it  gave  out  an  odd 


A    VERY    GRAND    OBSTACLE.  315 

echo,  —  a  sort  of  ringing  sound,  or  "  twang,"  but  for  all 
this,  I  could  not  imagine  what  it  was. 

There  was  no  help  for  it  but  to  cut  into  the  case,  and 
then  perhaps  I  should  become  better  acquainted  with 
the  contents. 

I  followed  a  plan  I  had  tried  already.  I  selected  one 
of  the  boards  of  which  the  great  case  was  made,  and 
with  my  knife  cut  it  across  the  middle.  It  was  nearly 
twelve  inches  in  width,  and  the  work  occupied  me  for 
many  long  hours.  My  knife  had  become  as  "  dull  as  a 
beetle,"  and  this  added  to  the  difficulty  of  the  task. 

The  section  was  completed,  at  length;  and,  laying 
aside  the  knife,  I  contrived  to  draw  one  end  of  the  cut 
plank  outwards.  The  space  between  the  two  cases 
gave  me  room  to  move  the  board  upward  and  down- 
ward, till  at  length  the  nails  at  the  end  were  twisted 
out,  and  the  board  fell  down  along  with  the  others. 

The  second  half  was  displaced  in  a  similar  manner ; 
and  I  had  now  made  an  opening  in  the  great  case,  large 
enough  to  enable  me  to  examine  its  contents. 

There  were  sheets  of  paper  spread  over  the  surface 
of  something  hard  and  smooth.  These  I  dragged  out- 
wards, and  laid  the  surface  bare ;  and  then  I  ran 
my  fingers  over  it.  I  perceived  that  it  was  some  kind 
of  wood,  but  polished  till  it  was  as  slippery  as  glass.  It 
felt  to  the  touch  just  like  the  surface  of  a  mahogany 
table  ;  and  I  might  have  mistaken  it  for  one,  but  on 
rapping  it  with  my  knuckles  it  gave  forth  that  same 
ringing  hollow  sound  I  had  already  noticed.  Striking  it 
with  still  greater  violence,  I  could  hear  a  prolonged 
musical  vibration,  that  reminded  me  of  an  -^olian  harp. 

But  I  had  now  become  aware  of  the  nature  of  this 


316  THE  :boy  tar. 

huge  object.  It  was  a  Piano-forte.  I  had  seen  one 
like  it  before.  One  used  to  stand  in  the  corner  of  our 
little  parlor,  upon  which  my  mother  often  made  most 
beautiful  music.  Yes,  the  object  whose  broad  smooth 
surface  now  barred  my  way  was  neither  more  nor  less 
than  a  Piano, 


CHAPTER  LVIII. 


TURNING    THE   PIANO. 


It  was  with  unpleasant  feelings  I  arrived  at  this 
knowledge.  Beyond  doubt,  the  piano  would  be  a  diffi- 
cult obstacle,  if  not  a  complete  barrier,  to  my  further 
progress  in  that  direction.  It  was  evidently  one  of  the 
grandest  of  "  grand  pianos,"  —  far  larger  than  the  one  I 
remembered  to  have  stood  in  my  mother's  cottage  par- 
lor. Its  upper  side,  or  table,  was  towards  me,  —  for  it 
had  been  placed  upon  its  edge  ;  and  I  could  tell  by  the 
echo  given  back  to  my  blows  that  this  table  was  a  piece 
of  mahogany,  of  an  inch  or  more  in  thickness.  It  ap- 
peared, moreover,  to  consist  of  one  solid  board,  —  for  I 
could  feel  no  crack  or  joining  over  its  whole  extent ; 
and  to  get  through  this  board,  therefore,  a  hole  would 
have  to  be  made  by  sheer  cutting  and  carving. 

With  such  a  tool  as  I  handled,  to  make  a  hole  big 
enough  to  creep  through,  even  had  it  been  common 
deal,  would  have  been  a  work  of  no  ordinary  magni- 
tude ;  but  through  a  solid  plank  of  mahogany,  doubly 
hardened  by  a  process  of  staining  and  polishing,  was  a 
task  that  appalled  me. 

Besides,  even  could  I  succeed  in  doing  so,  —  even 
could  I  cut  through  the  table-top,  —  which,  though  a 


318  THE   BOY   TAK. 

severe  and  tedious  labor,  would  not  have  been  impossi- 
ble, —  what  then  ?  There  were  all  the  inside  works  to 
be  got  out.  I  knew  little  of  the  arrangement  of  the 
interior.  I  onlj  remembered  having  observed  a  great 
many  pieces  of  black  and  white  ivory  ;  and  vast  num- 
bers of  strong  wire  strings.  There  were  shelves,  too, 
and  pieces  that  ran  lengthwise,  and  upright  pieces,  and 
then  the  pedals,  —  all  of  which  would  be  very  difficult 
to  detach  from  their  places.  Beyond  these  again,  there 
W'ould  be  a  bottom  of  hard  mahogany,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  case  on  the  other  side,  and  through  these  another 
aperture  would  have  to  be  made  to  let  me  out. 

Still,  other  difficulties  stared  me  in  the  face.  Even 
should  I  succeed  in  getting  the  w^orks  loose,  and  drawing 
them  out,  and  disposing  of  them  behind  me,  would  I 
then  find  room  enough  within  the  shell  of  the  instru- 
ment to  enable  me  to  cut  through  its  opposite  side  and 
also  the  case,  and,  still  more,  to  make  an  entrance  into 
whatever  case  or  box  lay  beyond  ?  This  was  a  doubt- 
ful point,  —  though  not  very  doubtful.  It  was  rather 
too  certain  that  I  could  not  do  so. 

Still,  I  might  work  upwards  once  I  had  cleared  out 
the  shell ;  but  the  clearing  out  the  shell  was  of  itself 
the  most  doubtful  point ;  for  that  I  feared  I  should  not 
be  able  to  effect  at  all. 

On  the  whole,  the  difficulty  of  this  enterprise  quite 
dismayed  me  ;  and  the  more  I  thought  about  it,  the  less 
inclination  I  felt  to  attempt  it.  After  considering  it  in 
all  its  bearings,  I  abandoned  the  idea  altogether  ;  and 
instead  of  trying  to  make  a  breach  through  the  great 
wall  of  mahogany,  I  resolved  upon  "  turning  "  it. 

I  was  considerably  chagrined  at  being  forced  into  this 


TURNING   THE   PIANO.  319 

resolution,  —  the  more  so  that  I  had  lost  half  a  day's 
labor  in  hewing  through  the  outside  case  ;  and  all  this, 
as  well  as  the  opening  of  the  end  of  the  cloth-box,  now 
counted  for  nothing.  But  it  could  not  be  helped.  I 
had  no  time  to  spend  in  idle  regrets  ;  and,  like  a  be- 
sieging general,  I  commenced  a  fresh  reconnaissance  of 
the  ground,  in  order  to  discover  what  would  be  my 
best  route  to  outjlanh  the  fortress. 

I  was  still  under  the  belief  that  it  was  a  bale  of  linen 
that  lay  on  the  top,  and  this  quite  hindered  me  from 
thinking  of  going  upward.  My  attention  was  turned, 
therefore,  to  the  right  and  the  left. 

I  knew  that  by  tunnelling  either  way,  I  should  gain 
no  advantage.  It  would  not  bring  me  an  inch  nearer 
the  desired  goal ;  and  even  after  I  should  have  made  a 
stage  in  either  direction,  I  should  still  be  only  in  the 
"  second  tier."  This  was  discouraging  enough,  —  more 
loss  of  labor  and  time,  —  but  I  dreaded  that  horrid  bale 
of  linen  ! 

One  advantage  I  had  gained  by  knocking  out  the 
whole  end  of  the  cloth-case.  I  have  already  said  there 
was  a  space  of  several  inches  between  it  and  the  great 
coffin  that  contained  the  piano.  Into  this  space  I  could 
insert  my  arm  beyond  the  elbow,  and  ascertain  some- 
thing about  the  sort  of  goods  that  lay  right  and  left  of 
me. 

I  did  so.  I  was  able  to  perceive  that  on  each  side 
was  a  box  or  case,  —  both  of  which,  as  near  as  I  could 
guess,  were  similar  to  that  in  which  I  was,  —  that  is, 
both  were  cloth-cases.  This  would  do  w^ell  enough.  I 
had  now  obtained  such  practice  in  breaking  open  these 
chests,  and  rifling  them  of  their  contents,  that  I  consid- 


320  THE    BOY   TAR. 

ered  it  a  mere  bagatelle  ;  and  I  should  not  have  desired 
anything  better  than  that  the  cargo  had  consisted  en- 
tirely of  those  goods,  for  which  the  West  of  England 
has  long  been  so  famous. 

While  groping  along  the  sides  of  these  cases,  it  oc- 
curred to  me  to  raise  my  hand  upward,  and  just  ascer- 
tain how  far  the  bale  of  linen  projected  over  the  empty 
cloth-case.  To  my  astonishment  it  did  not  project  at 
all !  I  say  to  my  astonishment,  —  for  those  bales  I  had 
already  examined  were  as  near  as  possible  of  the  same 
size  as  the  cases  of  broadcloth  ;  and  as  this  one  wanted 
quite  'a  foot  of  being  "  flush  "  with  the  inner  end  of  the 
case,  I  concluded  I  should  find  it  that  much  over  at  the 
other  end.  But  it  was  not,  —  not  an  inch  over;  and 
therefore,  thought  I,  it  must  be  a  smaller  package  than 
the  others. 

While  making  this  reflection,  something  suggested 
that  I  should  scrutinize  the  bale  more  closely.  I  did 
so,  both  with  my  fingers  and  the  blade  of  my  knife,  and 
was  now  agreeably  surprised  to  find  that  it  was  not  a 
hale  at  all,  but  a  wooden  box.  It  was  covered  all  over 
with  a  soft  thick  substance,  —  a  piece  of  rush  matting, 
—  and  this  it  was  that  had  led  to  my  mistake. 

The  possibility  of  tunnelhng  in  a  vertical  direction 
was  now  apparent.  I  could  easily  hew  off  the  rush 
matting,  and  then  deal  with  the  box  as  I  had  done  with 
the  others. 

Of  course,  I  thought  no  longer  of  taking  the  round- 
about way  by  the  right  or  the  left ;  but  at  once  changed 
my  intention,  and  determined  to  travel  upward. 

I  need  hardly  describe  how  I  made  my  entry  into 
this  mat-covered  box.    Suffice  it  to  say,  that  I  began  by 


TURNING   THE   PIANO.  321 

cutting  one  of  the  lid  boards  of  the  empty  cloth-case, 
and  then  drawing  it  downwards  till  I  pulled  it  out.  The 
open  space  by  the  side  of  the  ship  proved  an  advantage 
to  me  while  making  the  cross-section,  —  as  it  allowed 
me  to  ply  my  blade  freely  through  the  planks. 

Having  succeeded  with  one  board,  I  was  enabled  to 
detach  another  without  any  more  hewing  ;  and  this  gave 
me  enough  space  to  work  on  the  bottom  of  the  covered 
case. 

By  dint  of  cutting  and  tearing  I  soon  got  the  rushes 
out  of  the  way,  and  then  the  wood  w^as  revealed  to 
my  touch  ;  and  by  this  delicate  sense  I  perceived  that, 
like  the  others,  it  was  a  case  of  common  deal. 

I  only  rested  a  moment  before  beginning  my  attack 
upon  it.  As  it  lay  twelve  inches  from  the  timbers  of 
the  ship,  one  of  its  angles  was  quite  within  my  reach  ; 
and  on  running  my  hand  along  it,  I  could  feel  the  heads 
of  the  nails,  that  did  not  appear  to  be  either  numerous 
or  very  firmly  driven.  This  gave  me  satisfaction,  and 
still  more  was  I  rejoiced  to  find  that  there  was  no  hoop- 
ing upon  it.  I  should,  perhaps,  be  enabled  to  prize  off 
one  of  the  boards,  and  this  w^ould  save  me  the  long, 
wearisome  task  of  cutting  it  cross  ways. 

At  the  moment  this  appeared  a  fortunate  circum- 
stance, and  I  congratulated  myself  upon  it.  Alas  !  it 
proved  the  cause  of  a  sad  misfortune,  that  in  five  min- 
utes had  plunged  me  once  more  into  the  deepest 
misery. 

Half  a  dozen  words  will  explain. 

I  had  inserted  the  blade  of  my  knife  under  the  board, 
and  was  trying  if  it  felt  loose.  Not  that  I  believed  I 
could  prize  it  off  with  this  ;  but  rather  to  ascertain  what 
14* 


322  THE   BOY   TAR. 

resistance  there  was,  in  order  to  look  out  for  some  more 
proper  lever. 

To  my  sorrow,  I  leant  too  heavily  upon  the  piece  of 
steel ;  for  a  short,  sharp  crack,  —  startling  me  worse 
than  a  shot  would  have  done,  —  announced  that  the 
hlade  was  broken! 


CHAPTER  LIX. 


THE    BROKEN    BLADE. 


Yes,  —  the  blade  was  broken  quite  through  and  re- 
mained sticking  between  the  pieces  of  wood.  The  haft 
came  away  in  my  hand  ;  and  as  I  passed  my  thumb 
over  the  end  of  it,  I  could  perceive  that  the  blade  had 
snapped  off  close  to  the  end  of  the  back-spring,  —  so 
that  not  even  the  tenth  of  an  inch  of  it  was  left  in  the 
handle. 

I  cannot  describe  the  chagrin  which  this  incident 
caused  me.  I  at  once  recognized  it  as  a  misfortune 
of  the  very  gravest  kind,  —  for  without  the  knife  what 
could  I  do  ? 

Without  it,  I  was,  as  might  be  said,  unarmed  and 
helpless.  I  could  make  no  further  progress  with  my 
tunnel,  —  I  should  have  to  abandon  the  enterprise  so 
lately  conceived,  and  upon  which  I  had  built  such  hopes 
of  success  ;  in  other  words,  I  might  now  renounce  my 
design  of  proceeding  farther,  and  resign  myself  to  the 
miserable  fate  that  once  more  stared  me  in  the  face. 

There  was  something  awful  in  this  reaction  of  my 
spirits.  It  was  painful  in  the  extreme.  The  very  sud- 
denness of  the  change  rendered  the  shock  more  acute. 
But  the  moment  before,  I  was  full    of  confidence,  — 


324  THE    BOY   TAK. 

making  fair  progress  in  my  enterprise,  and  cheered 
with  partial  success.  This  unexpected  misfortune  had 
interrupted  all,  and  plunged  me  back  again  into  the 
gloomy  gulf  of  despair. 

For  a  long  while  I  remained  wavering  and  undecided. 
I  could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  do  anything.  What 
could  I  do  ?  I  could  not  continue  my  work,  —  I  had  no 
tool  to  work  with  ! 

My  mind  seemed  to  wander.  Several  times  I  passed 
my  thumb  along  the  handle  of  my  knife,  till  it  rested 
upon  the  short  stump  of  the  broken  blade,  or  rather 
upon  the  neck,  for  the  blade  was  all  gone.  I  did  this  in 
a  sort  of  mechanical  way,  to  assure  myself  that  it  was 
really  broken  off,  —  for  so  sudden  had  been  the  misfor- 
tune, that  I  could  yet  hardly  believe  in  its  reality.  In 
truth,  it  had  quite  bewildered  my  senses,  and  in  this 
state  they  remained  for  several  minutes. 

When  the  first  shock  was  over,  my  self-possession 
slowly  and  gradually  returned.  Assured  at  length  of 
the  sad  reality,  and  knowing  the  worst,  I  began  to  reflect 
whether  something  might  not  still  be  done  with  the  bro- 
ken weapon. 

The  words  of  a  great  poet,  which  I  had  heard  at 
school,  came  into  my  mind,  —  "  Men  better  do  their  bro- 
ken weapons  use,  than  their  bare  hands ; "  and  the  sug- 
gestion that  this  wise  saying  afforded,  I  now  took  to 
myself.  It  occurred  to  me,  then,  to  examine  the  blade. 
The  haft  I  held  in  my  hand,  but  the  blade  still  re- 
mained in  the  angle  of  the  box,  where  it  had  broken  off. 

I  drew  it  out,  and  passed  my  finger  over  it.  It  was 
still  entire,  and  as  much  of  a  blade  as  ever ;  but,  alas ! 
without  the  handle,  what  use  could  I  make  of  it  ? 


THE    BROKEN   BLADE.  325 

I  grasped  it  round  the  thick  end,  and  made  trial 
whether  I  could  still  cut  Avith  it.  It  was  some  satisfac- 
tion to  find  that  I  could,  —  a  little.  The  blade  was  a 
good  long  one,  and  this  was  a  fortunate  circumstance. 
By  wrapping  a  piece  of  rag  around  the  thick  end,  I 
might  yet  make  it  available  ;  though,  of  course,  any 
cutting  I  might  hereafter  do  with  it,  would  be  a  slow 
and  painful  operation. 

The  idea  of  setting  the  blade  in  the  haft  again  was 
out  of  the  question.  It  is  true  I  entertained  it  at  first, 
but  I  soon  discovered  a  difficulty  not  to  be  got  over ; 
and  that  was  the  removal  of  the  back -spring. 

Could  I  only  have  got  this  out  of  the  way,  the  haft 
would  still  have  served  for  a  handle.  I  could  easily 
have  inserted  the  broken  end  of  the  blade  between  the 
scales  ;  and  as  I  had  plenty  of  good  string,  I  might  have 
tied  it  firmly  there.  But  I  had  nothing  to  draw  the 
well-riveted  nail,  and  the  back-spring  resisted  all  my 
efforts  to  detach  it. 

The  haft,  therefore,  was  of  no  more  use  than  an  ordi- 
nary piece  of  stick,  —  indeed,  not  so  much,  for  just  then 
it  occurred  to  me  that  a  piece  of  stick  might  serve  my 
purpose  better.  Out  of  a  proper  piece,  I  might  be  able 
to  make  some  sort  of  a  handle  that  would  serve  to  hold 
the  blade,  so  that  I  might  still  cut  with  it. 

The  encouragement  which  this  idea  gave  me,  once 
more  roused  my  mind  to  new  activity,  and  I  set  to 
thinking  how  I  might  make  a  new  haft  for  the  broken 
blade. 

Necessity  sharpened  my  ingenuity  ;  and  I  was  not 
long  in  conceiving  my  design,  nor  a  great  while  either 
about  the  execution  of  it ;  for  in  about  an  hour's  time  I 


326  THE   BOY   TAR. 

held  in  my  hand  a  knife  with  a  complete  handle.  It 
was  but  a  rude  one  at  best ;  but  I  felt  satisfied  it  would 
serve  my  purpose  nearly  as  well  as  that  which  I  had 
lost ;  and  this  belief  once  more  restored  me  to  confi- 
dence and  cheerfulness. 

The  new  haft  I  had  made  in  the  following  fashion : 
Having  procured  a  piece  of  wood  from  one  of  the  thick 
boards,  I  first  w^hittled  it  to  the  proper  shape  and  size. 
This  I  was  enabled  to  do  with  the  blade,  —  which, 
although  without  a  handle,  served  well  enough  for  light 
work  like  that.  I  then  contrived  to  make  a  cleft  in  the 
stick,  to  the  depth  of  two  inches  from  its  end ;  and  into 
this  cleft  I  inserted  the  broken  end  of  the  blade.  To 
lap  this  tightly  with  a  string,  was  my  next  idea ;  but  I 
perceived  at  once  that  this  would  not  do.  The  string 
would  be  stretched  by  the  action  of  the  blade,  and  the 
latter  would  soon  get  loose.  If  the  sharp  edge  only 
came  against  the  twine,  while  the  blade  was  being 
w^orked  backwards  and  forwards,  it  would  instantly 
sever  it,  and  then  the  blade  would  pull  out,  perhaps 
drop  down  among  the  boxes,  and  so  get  lost.  Such  an 
accident  would  be  fatal  to  my  prospects ;  and,  if  possi- 
ble, I  must  not  risk  it. 

What  could  I  find  that  would  fasten  the  blade  more 
securely  in  the  cleft  ?  If  I  could  have  obtained  a  yard 
or  two  of  wire,  it  would  have  been  just  the  thing,  —  but 
there  was  no  wire  near  me.  What !  thought  I,  no  wire 
near  me  ?  The  piano  !  the  strings  !  surely  they  are  of 
wire  ? 

Once  more  the  piano  became  the  object  of  my  atten- 
tion ;  and  if  I  could  at  that  moment  have  reached  the 
inside  of  it,  I  should  certainly  have  robbed  it  of  one  of 


THE   BROKEN   BLADE.  327 

its  strings.  But,  then,  to  get  at  the  string  ?  —  that  was 
a  difficuhj  I  had  not  thought  of,  but  which  the  next 
moment  came  up  before  me.  Of  course,  with  my  knife 
in  its  present  condition,  to  cut  my  way  into  the  piano 
would  be  a  sheer  impossibihty,  and  I  was  forced  to 
abandon  the  idea. 

But  in  that  instant  I  thought  of  another  expedient, 
—  I  thought  of  the  iron  hooping,  of  which  there  was 
plenty  within  my  reach.  The  very  thing.  A  piece  of 
this  would  serve  my  purpose  equally  as  well  as  wire. 
It  was  thin  and  pliable,  and  one  or  two  turns  of  it 
around  the  haft,  by  the  neck  of  the  blade,  would  hold 
the  latter  in  its  place  admirably,  and  prevent  it  from 
budging  either  backwards  or  forwards.  A  string,  lapped 
tightly  over  all,  would  keep  the  hoop  from  getting  loose, 
and  thus  I  should  have  a  complete  handle. 

No  sooner  thought  of  than  done.  The  piece  of  hoop 
was  at  once  searched  for  and  found.  It  was  neatly 
wound  round  the  neck  of  the  blade  and  haft ;  and  hav- 
ing been  firmly  tied  with  strong  twine,  I  found  myself 
once  more  in  possession  of  a  knife.  The  blade  was  of 
course  much  shorter  than  before,  but  I  believed  it  would 
still  be  long  enough  for  cutting  through  the  thickest 
planks  I  should  encounter ;  and  with  this  belief  I  felt 
satisfied. 

The  different  operations  I  have  detailed  must  have 
occupied  me  for  twenty  hours  at  least.  I  was  worn  and 
wearied,  and  should  have  sought  rest  much  sooner ;  but 
after  the  breaking  of  the  blade,  I  could  not  think  of 
resting.  It  would  have  been  of  no  use  attempting  to 
sleep  ;  my  misery  would  have  kept  me  awake. 

The  new  knife,  however,  had  restored  my  confidence  ; 


328  THE    BOY   TAR. 

and  I  could  no  longer  resist  the  desire  to  take  that  re- 
pose —  which,  both  in  mind  and  body,  I  so  much  stood 
in  need  of. 

I  need  hardly  add  that  hunger  compelled  me  to  resort 
once  more  to  my  miserable  larder  ;  but  strange  as  it 
may  appear  to  you,  —  and  as  it  does  now  to  me,  —  I 
felt  no  hardship  in  the  kind  of  diet ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, ate  my  rat-supper  with  as  much  relish,  as  I  should 
now  do  the  choicest  of  dishes  ! 


CHAPTER  LX. 


A    TRIANGULAR    CHAMBER. 


I  PASSED  the  night  —  I  should  rather  say  the  hours 
of  rest  —  in  my  old  apartment,  behind  the  water-butt. 
Whether  it  was  night  or  day,  I  no  longer  knew  nor 
cared.  On  this  occasion  I  slept  well,  and  awoke  re- 
freshed and  strengthened.  My  new  diet,  no  doubt, 
aided  in  producing  this  effect ;  for,  however  repugnant 
it  might  be  to  a  dainty  palate,  it  served  well  enough  for 
a  famished  stomach. 

I  was  not  loath  to  make  my  breakfast  upon  it,  which 
I  did  the  moment  after  awaking ;  and  that  finished,  I 
again  crawled  back  through  my  "  gallery,"  and  entered 
the  empty  box,  where  I  had  already  spent  nearly  the 
whole  of  a  day  and  night. 

As  I  climbed  into  the  same  place,  I  could  not  help 
thinking  how  little  way  I  had  made  during  my  last 
spell  of  twenty  hours  ;  but  some  secret  thought  inspired 
me  with  the  hope,  that  on  this  occasion  I  should  be  more 
fortunate. 

My  intention  was  to  continue  the  work  which  had 
been  interrupted  by  the  breaking  of  my  knife.  Before 
that  unlucky  accident  befell  me,  I  had  noticed  that  the 


330  THE    BOY   TAR. 

board  was  not  very  firmly  nailed  on.  It  could  be  started 
easily  enough  with  a  proper  tool,  —  I  fancied  that  even 
a  good  piece  of  stick  would  do  it. 

I  was  careful  not  to  make  an^  more  rash  experiments 
with  the  blade  of  my  knife.  Now,  more  than  ever,  did 
I  value  this  precious  weapon  ;  for  I  was  fully  sensible 
that  my  life  depended  on  its  endurance. 

"  If  I  only  had  a  piece  of  some  hard  wood  !  "  thought  I. 

I  remembered  that  in  making  an  entrance  into  the 
brandy-cask,  I  had  cut  large  pieces  from  the  oaken 
staves.     Perhaps  one  of  these  would  do  ? 

With  the  thought,  I  hurried  back  to  the  little  cham- 
ber where  I  knew  they  were  lying. 

After  removing  some  pieces  of  cloth,  I  found  them  ; 
and  having  groped  among  the  cuttings,  I  possessed 
myself  of  a  piece  that  appeared  as  if  it  would  suit  my 
purpose. 

Getting  back  to  the  box,  I  even  shaped  out  a  little 
crow-bar  —  by  giving  the  stick  a  Avedge-end  with  my 
knife  ;  and  this  thin  end  I  inserted  under  the  plank, 
and  drove  it  inward  as  far  as  I  could,  by  striking  it 
with  a  heavy  piece  of  board. 

It  soon  took  hold ;  and  then  grasping  it  by  the  end, 
and  jerking  it  dowuAvards,  I  had  the  gratification  to 
hear  the  creaking  of  the  nails  as  they  started  outward. 
My  fingers  now  took  the  place  of  the  little  lever  ;  and 
the  board  came  "  skreeking  "  out  of  the  bottom  of  the 
box. 

That  contiguous  to  it  was  more  easily  detached ;  and 
the  two  left  me  an  aperture  large  enough  to  get  out  the, 
contents,  whatever  they  might  be. 

They  were  oblong  packages,  —  shaped  like  pieces  of 


A   TRIANGULAR    CHAMBER.  331 

cloth  or  linen,  —  but  they  felt  lighter  and  more  elastic 
than  either.  Better  still,  —  they  could  be  pulled  out 
more  easily,  and  without  the  necessity  of  being  taken 
out  of  their  envelopes. 

I  had  no  curiosity  to  know  what  they  were,  —  since 
I  could  tell  they  were  nothing  eatable,  —  and,  perhaps, 
I  should  not  have  known  till  this  day,  but  that  in  draw- 
ing out  one  more  tightly  wedged  than  the  rest,  its  wrap- 
per was  torn  off;  and  as  I  passed  my  fingers  between 
the  folds  of  the  soft  light  fabric,  I  guessed  from  their 
smooth  silken  surface  that  I  was  dealing  with  the  finest 
of  velvet. 

The  box  was  soon  emptied,  and  its  contents  carefully 
stowed  in  the  most  convenient  space  behind  me  ;  and 
then,  with  a  joyous  heart,  I  mounted  into  the  space  I 
had  cleared  out.     One  more  stage  nearer  to  liberty ! 

I  had  been  less  than  two  hours  in  accomplishing  this 
great  advance.  Such  success  was  ominous  of  future 
good  fortune.  It  was  a  day  well  begun ;  and  I  resolved 
not  to  throw  away  a  minute  of  time,  since  the  fates  a]D- 
peared  so  propitious. 

After  going  down  to  refresh  myself  with  a  grand 
draught  of  water,  I  returned  to  the  ci-devant  depository 
of  the  velvet,  and  there  entered  upon  a  new  series  of 
explorations.  As  in  the  case  of  the  cloth-box,  I  saw 
that  the  end  of  this,  —  which  also  abutted  against  the 
pianoforte,  —  could  be  easily  kicked  out;  and  without 
waiting  to  ascertain  farther,  I  set  my  heels  against  it, 
and  began  playing  my  old  tattoo. 

This  time  I  did  not  finish  it  so  soon.  I  was  pinched 
for  want  of  room,  —  the  velvet-box  being  much  smaller 
than  that  which  contained  the  cloth,  —  but  I  effected 


332  THE   BOY   TAR. 

mj  purpose  at  length ;  and  out  went  the  end-boards,  one 
after  another,  dropping  down  into  the  interstices  between 
the  cases  of  goods. 

Doubling  myself  over  upon  my  knees,  I  leant  forward 
to  make  a  new  reconnaissance.  I  expected,  or  rather 
dreaded,  to  find  the  great  wall-like  piano-case  shutting 
up  the  whole  space  I  had  opened.  Certainly,  the  huge 
case  was  there,  —  for  I  at  once  laid  my  hand  upon  it, 
—  but  I  could  scarce  restrain  an  exclamation  of  joy, 
when  I  found  that  it  extended  scarce  half-way  across 
the  opening  !  What  delighted  me  still  farther  was,  that, 
in  groping  around  its  edge,  I  observed  that  opposite  the 
opening  in  that  part  to  which  the  piano-case  did  not 
extend,  there  was  a  large  space  entirely  empty,  —  a 
space  almost  big  enough  to  have  contained  another  case 
of  velvet ! 

This  was  a  very  joyful  surprise,  and  I  at  once  per- 
ceived the  advantage  thus  thrown  in  my  way.  It  was 
so  much  of  my  tunnel  ready  made  to  my  hand. 

On  thrusting  my  arm  outside  the  end  of  the  box  and 
upward,  I  became  acquainted  with  a  new  source  of  joy. 
I  perceived  that  the  empty  space  continued  for  ten  or 
twelve  inches  higher  than  the  top  of  the  box,  —  in  fact, 
to  the  top  of  the  piano-case  itself.  It  also  opened  about 
the  same  distance  below  where  my  knees  rested.  There 
I  perceived  that  it  ended  in  a  sharp  angle,  —  for  I  had 
ah'eady  noticed  that  this  little  chamber  was  not  of  a 
square  shape,  as  we  say,  but  of  the  form  of  a  triangle, 
with  its  apex  pointing  downwards.  This  was  caused  by 
the  peculiar  construction  of  the  piano-case,  which  re- 
sembled a  great  parallelopipedon,  with  one  corner 
sawed  off.     It  was  standing  upon  its  larger  end,  and 


A    TRIANGULAR    CHAMBER.  333 

it  was  where  this  corner  should  have  been  that  the 
place  remained  empty. 

In  all  likelihood  the  triangular  shape  of  this  space 
rendered  it  inconvenient  for  any  package  which  there 
was  among  the  merchandise,  and  hence  was  it  unoccu- 
pied. 

So  much  the  better  for  me,  thought  I,  as  I  stretched 
forth  my  arms,  and  leant  my  body  over  into  it,  with  the 
design  of  giving  it  a  more  thorough  exploration. 


CHAPTER   LXL 


A   MILLINER  S    BOX. 


I  WAS  not  long  about  this  business.  I  soon  perceived 
that  the  back  of  the  empty  space  \vas  closed  in  by  a 
large  box,  and  a  similar  one  blocked  up  the  right  side. 
The  left  was  the  diagonal  edge  of  the  case  itself,  about 
twenty  inches  or  two  feet  in  width. 

But  I  troubled  myself  very  little  either  about  back, 
left,  or  right.  It  was  the  ceiling  of  the  little  chamber 
that  had  the  greatest  interest  for  me  ;  for  it  was  in  that 
direction  I  intended,  if  possible,  to  continue  my  tunnel. 

I  knew  that  I  was  now  fai*  enough  in  the  horizontal 
direction,  —  for  the  chief  advantage  I  had  gained  by 
the  discovery  of  the  empty  space  was,  that  it  carried 
me  the  thickness  of  the  piano-case  —  about  two  feet,  as 
I  have  said  —  in  this  course,  besides  the  distance  that 
was  open,  upwards.  Neither  forward,  then,  nor  to  the 
right  or  left,  did  I  wish  to  go,  unless  forced  to  do  so  by 
an  obstacle.  Upward  was  the  echo  of  my  thoughts. 
Excelsior  !  excelsior !  Two  or  three  stages  more,  — 
perhaps  less,  if  no  obstacle  intervened,  —  and  I  might 
be  free.  My  heart  beat  joyfully  as  the  prospect  passed 
before  my  mind. 

It  was  not  without  a  keen  anxiety  that  I  raised  my 


A  milliner's  box.  335 

hand  to  the  ceiling  of  the  empty  chamber.  My  fingers 
trembled  as  they  touched  what  I  well  knew  to  be  can- 
vas, and  involuntarily  they  recoiled  from  it.     O,  mercy ! 

—  once  more  that  hated  fabric,  —  a  bale  of  linen  ! 

I  was  not  so  sure  of  this,  however.  I  remembered 
the  mistake  I  had  already  made  in  this  regard.  I  must 
examine  farther. 

I  closed  my  fist,  and  gave  the  bottom  of  the  package 
a  smart  rap  with  my  knuckles.  Ha  !  it  was  a  pleasant 
sound  that  answered  to  the  blow.  It  w^as  not  a  bale  of 
linen,  then,  but  a  box,  —  covered,  like  many  others, 
with  several  folds  of  coarse  cheap  canvas.  It  could  not 
be  cloth,  either,  —  for  instead  of  the  dull  report  which 
the  cloth-boxes  give  out  when  struck,  the  one  in  ques- 
tion returned  a  hollow  sound,  —  precisely  that  of  one 
that  was  empty  ! 

This  appeared  strange  enough.  It  could  not  be 
empty,  else  why  was  it  there  ?  and  yet  if  not  empty, 
what  did  it  contain  ? 

I  hammered  upon  it  with  the  haft  of  my  knife,  — 
still  the  same  hollow  sound  ! 

"  Good  !  "  thought  I.  "  If  empty,  all  the  better  ;  but 
if  not,  surely  there  is  something  in  it  of  a  light  nature, 

—  something  that  may  be  easily  got  rid  of     Good  !  " 
After  making  this  reflection,  I  resolved  to  waste  no 

more  time  in  conjectures,  but  to  satisfy  myself  of  the 
contents  of  this  new  box,  by  making  my  way  into  it ; 
and  in  a  trice  I  had  ripped  off  the  canvas  that  protected 
its  bottom. 

I  found  the  position  in  which  I  stood  inconvenient. 
The  triangular  space,-  narrowing  acutely  towards  the 
bottom,  hindered  me  from  standing  fairly  on  my  feet ; 


336  THE   BOY   TAR. 

but  I  soon  remedied  this  defect,  by  filling  the  angle 
with  some  pieces  of  cloth  and  velvet  that  were  near 
at  hand.  I  then  proceeded  more  comfortably  with  my 
work. 

I  need  not  detail  the  mode  in  which  I  burrowed 
through  the  bottom  of  the  box.  It  was  just  as  with  the 
others,  and  succeeded  as  well.  I  had  to  make  one  cross- 
cut, —  and  in  this  my  newly-hafted  blade  behaved  admi- 
rably ;  after  which,  I  pulled  out  the  divided  pieces. 

I  was  not  a  little  surprised  when  I  arrived  at  the 
inside,  and  ascertained  the  contents  of  the  box.  It  was 
some  time  before  I  could  make  them  out  by  the  "  feel," 
but  when  I  had  succeeded  in  getting  one  separated  from 
its  fellows,  and  ran  my  fingers  over  its  outline,  I  at 
length  recognized  what  they  were.    They  were  bonnets  ! 

Yes,  ladies'  bonnets,  and  nothing  but  that,  —  all  ap- 
parently full  "  trimmed,"  and  garnished  with  their  feath- 
ers, flowers,  and  ribbons. 

Had  I  at  that  time  possessed  a  more  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  the  costumes  of  the  Peruvians,  I  should  have 
been  more  surprised,  perhaps,  to  find  such  an  odd 
"  item "  in  the  list  of  their  imports.  I  should  have 
known  that  such  a  thing  as  a  bonnet  is  never  seen  upon 
the  beautiful  head  of  a  Peruvian  lady.  But  I  knew 
nothing  of  this  then,  and  I  was  only  surprised  by  the 
oddity  of  such  an  article  occurring  in  the  cargo  of  a 
great  ship. 

The  explanation  was  given  me  afterwards,  thus : 
that  there  were  English  and  French  ladies  living  in 
many  of  the  South  American  cities,  —  the  wives  and 
sisters  of  English  and  French  merchants  resident  there, 
as  well  as  of  various  representative  officials,  —  and  that 


A  milliner's  box.  337 

these,  althougli  so  very  far  distant  from  their  homes, 
still  obstinately  persisted  in  following  the  fashions  of 
London  and  Paris,  —  notwithstanding  (it  was  added) 
the  ridicule  with  which  such  an  absurd  headdress  was 
regarded  by  their  fair  sisters  of  Spanish  America. 

For  these  sojourners,  then,  the  box  of  bonnets  had 
been  intended. 

I  am  sorry  to  add  that  for  that  season  their  expecta- 
tions must  have  been  disappointed.  The  bonnets  could 
never  have  reached  them,  or,  if  they  did,  it  must  have 
been  in  such  a  state  as  to  render  them  unfit  for  any  pur- 
pose of  adornment.  Mine  was  an  unmerciful  hand ; 
for,  once  inside  that  box,  it  never  ceased  from  wreck 
and  ruin  till  the  whole  of  those  beautiful  "  ducks  "  were 
crumpled  up  and  stowed  away  in  less  than  a  tenth  part 
of  the  valuable  space  they  had  hitherto  occupied. 

No  doubt  many  an  imprecation  was  afterwards  heaped 
on  my  devoted  head;  and  the  only  apology  I  can  make 
is  to  speak  the  simple  truth,  —  that  with  me  it  w^as  a 
matter  of  life  or  death,  and  the  bonnets  had  to  go.  It 
was  not  likely  that  this  would  be  satisfactory  in  the 
quarter  where  the  bonnets  were  expected.  I  never 
heard  whether  or  no.  I  only  know  that  I  was  enabled 
afterwards,  —  but  long  afterwards,  —  to  satisfy  my  own 
conscience  about  the  matter,  by  paying  the  damage 
claimed  by  the  Transatlantic  milliner. 
15 


CHAPTER   LXII. 


HALF    SUFFOCATED. 


Having  disposed  of  the  bonnets,  mj  next  step  was 
to  climb  up  into  the  empty  box ;  and,  if  possible,  get 
the  lid,  or  part  of  it  removed.  But,  first,  I  endeavored 
to  ascertain  what  was  on  the  top  of  it,  and  for  this 
purpose  I  adopted  a  plan  that  had  already  served  me 
more  than  once,  —  of  feeling  through  the  slits  with  the 
blade  of  my  knife.  Unfortunately,  this  was  now  shorter, 
and  not  so  suitable  for  such  a  service,  —  but  it  was  still 
long  enough  to  reach  through  a  piece  of  inch  plank,  and 
two  inches  beyond,  and  this  would  no  doubt  enable  me 
to  determine  whether  the  next  obstacle  to  be  encoun- 
tered was  a  hard  or  a  soft  one. 

Once  within  the  bonnet-box,  I  stuck  my  blade  up 
through  the  lid.  The  package  above  was  composed  of 
something  soft  and  yielding.  I  remembered  that  there 
"was  a  canvas  cover,,  but  I  drove  the  blade  in  to  its  hilt, 
and  still  it  encountered  nothing  like  wood,  —  nothing 
that  resembled  the  boarding  of  a  box. 

But  I  was  equally  certain  that  it  was  not  linen,  ■— 
for  the  blade  penetrated  as  freely  as  it  would  have  done 
into  a  mass  of  butter,  —  and  this  would  not  have  been 
the  case  had  it  been  a  bale  of  linen.     Knowinsr  it  could 


HALF    SUFFOCATED.  339 

not  be  this,  my  mind  was  easy.  I  would  rather  have 
had  to  deal  with  anything  else. 

I  tried  in  several  places,  —  in  fact,  all  over  the  top, 
—  and  at  every  point  I  could  bury  my  blade  as  far  as 
the  haft  would  let  it  go,  with  a  very  slight  effort  used  to 
push  it  in.  Certainly  the  package  consisted  of  some 
substance  I  had  not  before  encountered,  but  as  to  what 
it  was  I  could  form  no  idea. 

However,  it  did  not  feel  as  though  it  would  present  a 
serious  obstacle  to  my  progress  ;  and  under  this  pleas- 
ant impression,  I  Avent  to  work  to  undermine  it,  by  tak- 
ing a  board  out  of  the  lid  upon  which  it  lay. 

This,  of  course,  required  me  to  go  through  the  tedious 
and  painful  process  of  making  a  cross-section  with  my 
knife,  —  a  kind  of  work  that  absorbed  more  of  my  time, 
and  caused  me  more  labor,  than  all  the  rest  put  together. 
But  it  was  absolutely  necessary,  for  there  was  no  other 
plan  by  which  I  could  tunnel  through  the  tops  of  the 
boxes.  On  each  rested  the  heavy  weight  of  the  pack- 
ages above,  and  to  start  one  of  the  planks,  with  this 
weight  pressing  down  upon  it,  was  impossible.  It  was 
only  by  cutting  them  across  that  they  could  be  re- 
moved. 

The  lid  of  the  bonnet-box  did  not  prove  so  difficult  to 
cut  through.  It  was  of  thin  deal,  and  in  about  a  half 
or  three  quarters  of  an  hour  I  had  the  middle  piece  of 
the  three  —  for  there  were  just  three  boards  in  it  — 
cut  into  twain.  The  sections  were  easily  bent  down- 
wards, and  removed. 

A  patch  of  the  canvas  covering  was  then  hacked  off, 
and  I  could  now  get  my  hand  upon  the  unknown  pack- 
age that  was  resting  on  the  top.     I  recognized  the  ob- 


340  THE   BOY   TAR. 

ject  at  once.  I  had  been  enough  about  my  uncle's  barn 
to  know  the  feel  of  a  sack.     This,  then,  was  a  sack. 

It  was  full  of  something  :  of  what  ?  —  wheat,  or  bar- 
ley, or  oats  ?  No,  it  was  not  grain,  —  something  softer 
and  finer  :  was  it  a  «ack  of  meal  ? 

I  should  soon  ascertain  that.  My  blade  entered  the 
sack,  and  a  slit  was  cut  large  enough  to  admit  my  fist. 
I  had  no  need  to  thrust  my  hand  inside,  for  as  I  held  it 
under  the  vent  thus  opened,  I  felt  a  soft,  powdery  sub- 
stance streaming  downward,  with  which  my  palm  was 
instantly  filled  ;  and  as  my  fingers  closed  upon  it,  I  felt 
satisfied  that  I  had  got  hold  of  a  fistful  of  flour.  My 
hand  went  straight  to  my  lips,  and  a  single  taste  of  the 
precious  dust  confirmed  my  conjecture.  It  was  a  sack 
of  flour. 

This  was  a  joyous  discovery.  Here  v/as  food,  and 
enough  to  last  me  for  months  !  No  more  danger  of 
starvation,  —  no  more  rat  diet.  No.  On  flour  and 
water  I  could  live  like  a  prince.  What  matter  if  it  was 
raw?  it  was  sweet,  and  palatable,  and  wholesome. 

"  Heaven  be  praised  !     I  am  no  longer  in  danger !  " 

Some  such  exclamation  escaped  me,  as  I  arrived  at  a 
full  appreciation  of  the  importance  of  my  new  discovery. 

I  had  now  been  at  work  for  many  hours,  and  once 
more  needed  rest.  I  was  hungry,  too,  and  could  not 
resist  the  desire  to  make  a  grand  meal  on  the  new  arti- 
cle of  diet ;  and,  filling  my  pockets  with  the  flour,  I 
prepared  to  return  to  my  old  lair  behind  the  water-butt. 
I  took  the  precaution  to  stanch  the  wound  I  had  made 
in  the  flour-sack,  by  sticking  a  piece  of  loose  canvas 
into  the  vent,  and  then  I  commenced  ray  descent.  The 
rats,  bag  and  all,  were  chucked  into  the  first  convenient 


HALF   SUFFOCATED.  341 

corner  that  offered,  with  the  hope  that  no  necessity 
would  ever  require  me  to  draw  them  out  again ;  and, 
then,  having  mixed  me  a  large  quantity  of  flour  paste, 
I  made  as  hearty  a  meal  upon  it  as  if  it  had  been  the 
nicest  hasty  pudding  that  ever  was  cooked. 

A  few  hours  of  good  sleep  again  refreshed  me  ;  and, 
on  awaking,  I  ate  another  hasty  meal  of  the  paste,  and 
after  that  commenced  ascending  my  now  greatly-ex- 
tended gallery. 

As  I  chmbed  through  the  second  tier  of  boxes,  I  was 
surprised  to  feel  on  all  sides  of  me  a  soft,  powdery 
substance,  resembling  dust,  scattered  over  the  boards 
wherever  they  lay  horizontally;  but  on  passing  into 
the  triangular  space  by  the  piano-case,  I  found  the 
lower  half  of  this  cavity  filled  with  the  same  dust,  so 
that,  as  I  stepped  upon  it,  I  sank  up  to  the  ankles. 
I  perceived,  moreover,  that  a  shower  of  this  soft 
substance  was  falling  down  upon  my  head  and  shoul- 
ders ;  and,  as  I  inadvertently  turned  my  face  up- 
wards, it  came  rushing  into  my  mouth  and  eyes, 
causino;  me  to  sneeze  and  cousrh  in  the  most  violent 
manner. 

I  felt  for  a  moment  as  if  I  was  in  danger  of  being 
suffocated,  and  my  first  impulse  was  to  beat  a  speedy 
retreat,  and  get  back  to  the  rear  of  the  water-butt. 
But  I  had  no  need  to  go  quite  so  far ;  for  on  getting 
out  to  the  old  biscuit-box,  I  perceived  that  there  the 
dust  no  longer  reached  me. 

I  was  not  long  in  arriving  at  an  explanation  of  this 
singular  phenomenon.  It  was  the  flour  that  was  caus- 
ing such  a  "  stour."  The  movement  of  the  ship  had 
shaken  out  the  canvas  rag  with  which  I  had  stopped  the 


842  THE    BOY     TAR. 

vent,  and  the  flour  was  escaping.  No  doubt  this  was 
the  cause  of  the  wastage. 

The  idea  that  all  the  flour  would  be  lost,  rushed  into 
my  mind,  —  and,  as  a  consequence,  that  I  should  once 
more  be  forced  to  return  to  the  rat  diet.  It  would  be 
necessary,  therefore,  to  ascend  to  the  sack,  and  stop  the 
wastage  at  once. 

Notwithstanding  some  apprehensions  I  had  on  the 
score  of  suffocation,  I  perceived  the  necessity  of  action ; 
and  closing  both  mouth  and  eyes,  I  scrambled  as  fast  as 
I  could  towards  the  empty  bonnet-box. 

I  felt  flour  lodged  on  all  sides  as  I  went  up,  but  I 
fancied  it  was  no  longer  showering  downwards.  This 
was  in  reality  the  fact ;  for  on  reaching  the  bonnet- 
box,  I  found  that  it  had  ceased  to  run  out  of  the  sack, 
and  for  the  best  of  reasons,  —  it  was  now  all  out  of  it. 
The  sack  was  empty ! 

Perhaps  I  should  have  regarded  this  as  a  greater 
misfortune,  but  I  saw  that  the  flour  was  not  all  lost. 
A  good  deal,  no  doubt,  had  filtered  through  the  crev- 
ices, and  got  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  hold ;  but  a 
large  quantity,  —  as  much  as  I  would  be  likely  to  need, 
—  had  lodged  upon  the  pieces  of  cloth  that  I  had  placed 
in  the  bottom  of  the  triangular  cavity,  and  also  in  other 
places  where  I  could  get  at  it  whenever  I  wanted. 

It  mattered  little,  however  ;  for  in  another  moment  I 
had  made  a  discovery  that  drove  all  thoughts  of  the 
flour  out  of  my  head,  and  rendered  any  calculation 
about  my  future  provision,  —  either  of  food  or  water,  — 
a  subject  of  the  most  trifling  importance. 

I  had  stretched  up  my  hand  to  ascertain  if  the  sack 
was  quite  empty.     It  appeared  so.     Why,  then,  should 


HALF    SUFFOCATED.  343 

I  not  pull  it  through  the  aperture,  and  get  it  out  of  the 
way  ?  No  reason  why  I  should  not ;  and  I  at  once 
dragged  it  down,  and  flung  it  behind  me. 

I  then  raised  my  head  through  the  end  of  the  box, 
into  the  space  where  the  sack  had  lain. 

Merciful  heavens  !  What  did  I  behold  ?  Light ! 
light!  light! 


15* 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 


LIGHT    AND    LIFE. 


Yes,  my  eyes  were  once  more  cheered  with  heavenly 
light,  producing  within  my  heart  a  joy  sudden  and  com- 
plete. I  could  not  describe  the  happiness  I  felt.  Every 
fear  at  once  forsook  me.  I  had  no  longer  the  slightest 
apprehension.     I  was  saved ! 

The  light  I  saw  was  but  a  very  slender  beam,  —  a 
mere  ray,  —  that  appeared  to  penetrate  through  a  crack 
between  two  planks.  It  was  above  me,  —  not  vertically 
above  me,  —  but  rather  in  a  diagonal  line,  and  appar- 
ently about  eight  or  ten  feet  distant. 

I  knew  it  could  not  be  through  the  deck  that  the 
light  came.  There  are  no  open  spaces  between  the 
planks  of  a  ship's  deck.  It  must  be  through  the  hatch- 
way ;  and  very  likely  the  crack  I  saw  was  through  the 
boarding  of  the  hatch,  at  a  place  where  the  tarpauling 
might  be  off  or  torn. 

While  gazing  on  this  tiny  beam,  shining  like  a  meteor 
above  me,  I  thought  it  the  loveliest  object  I  had  ever 
looked  upon.  No  star  in  the  blue  sky  had  ever  ap- 
peared to  me  half  so  brilliant  or  beautiful ;  it  was  like 
the  eye  of  some  good  angel  smiling  upon  me,  and  bidding 
me  welcome  again  to  the  world  of  life. 


LIGHT   AND    LIFE.  345 

I  did  not  remain  long  in  my  position  within  the  bon- 
net-box. I  beheved  myself  near  the  end  of  my  labor, 
and  the  accomplishment  of  my  hopes,  and  had  no  incli- 
nation to  pause  upon  the  threshold  of  deliverance.  The 
nearer  to  the  goal,  the  more  earnest  had  I  become  to 
reach  it ;  and  therefore,  without  farther  hesitation,  I  set 
about  widening  the  aperture  already  made  in  the  lid  of 
the  box. 

The  fact  of  my  seeing  the  light  had  convinced  me  of 
one  important  truth,  and  that  was  that  I  had  reached  the 
top  of  the  cargo.  Since  it  appeared  in  a  diagonal  direc- 
tion, there  could  be  no  boxes  or  other  packages  inter- 
vening between  it  and  my  eyes,  and,  therefore,  the  space 
was  empty.  This  emptiness  could  only  be  above  the 
cargo. 

But  the  matter  was  soon  set  at  rest.  It  did  not  take 
me  twenty  minutes  to  widen  a  hole  big  enough  to  pass 
my  body ;  and,  scarcely  waiting  to  make  this  of  suffi- 
cient size,  I  squeezed  myself  through,  and  wriggled  out 
on  to  the  top  of  the  box. 

I  hfted  my  arms  over  my  head,  and  extended  them 
all  around  me.  Only  behind  could  I  perceive  anything, 
—  and  there  I  could  feel  boxes,  and  bales,  and  sacks 
piled  up  still  higher,  —  but  in  front  there  was  nothing 
but  empty  air. 

I  remained  for  some  moments  seated  on  the  lid  of  the 
box,  where  I  had  climbed  out,  with  my  legs  hanging 
down  outside  of  it.  I  was  cautious  not  to  step  off,  lest 
I  might  fall  into  some  great  cavity.  I  remained  gazing 
upon  the  beautiful  beacon  that  was  now  shining  still 
nearer  to  my  face. 

Gradually  my  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  light ; 


346  THE    BOY    TAR. 

and,  though  the  chink  admitted  only  a  few  slender  rays, 
I  began  to  perceive  the  forms  of  objects  that  were  near. 
I  soon  made  out  that  the  empty  space  did  not  extend  far. 
It  was  a  little  pit,  of  an  irregular,  circular  form,  — a  sort 
of  amphitheatre,  shut  in  on  all  sides  by  the  huge  pack- 
ages of  merchandise  that  were  piled  around  it.  It  was, 
in  fact,  a  space  that  had  been  left  under  the  hatchway, 
after  the  cargo  had  been  all  stowed ;  and  a  number  of 
loose  barrels  and  bags  that  were  strewed  over  it,  ap- 
peared to  contain  provisions,  —  no  doubt  stores  for 
the  crew,  —  thus  placed  so  that  they  could  be  readily 
reached  when  wanted. 

It  was  on  one  side  of  this  little  amphitheatre  I  had 
emerged  from  my  gallery ;  and  no  doubt  I  was  just 
under  the  edge  of  the  hatchway.  It  only  needed  to 
advance  a  pace  or  two,  knock  upon  the  boards  over  my 
head,  and  summon  the  crew  to  my  assistance. 

But  although  a  single  blow,  and  a  single  cry,  were 
all  that  were  needed  to  procure  my  liberation,  it  was  a 
long  while  before  I  could  muster  the  resolution  to  strike 
that  blow,  or  utter  that  cry  ! 

I  need  not  give  you  the  reasons  of  my  reluctance  and 
hesitation.  Think  only  of  what  was  behind  me,  —  of 
the  damage  and  ruin  I  had  caused  to  the  cargo,  —  a 
damage  amounting  perhaps  to  hundreds  of  pounds, — 
think  of  the  impossibility  of  my  being  able  to  make  the 
slightest  restitution  or  payment,  —  think  of  this,  and 
you  will  comprehend  why  I  paused  so  long,  seated  upon 
the  edge  of  the  bonnet-box.  An  awful  dread  was  upon 
me.  I  dreaded  the  denouement  of  this  dark  drama  ; 
and  no  wonder  I  hesitated  to  bring  it  to  its  ending. 

How  could  I  ever  face  the  stern  wrath  of  the  cap- 


LIGHT   AND   LIFE.  347 

tain  ?  —  the  brutal  anger  of  that  savage  mate  ?  How 
could  I  endure  their  looks,  —  their  words,  their  oaths, 
and,  likely  enough,  their  blows  ?  Perhaps  they  would 
pitch  me  into  the  sea  ? 

A  thrill  of  terror  ran  through  my  veins,  as  I  dwelt  on 
the  probability  of  such  a  fate.  A  sudden  change  had 
passed  over  my  spirits.  But  the  moment  before,  that 
twinkling  ray  had  filled  my  bosom  with  joy ;  and  now, 
as  I  sat  and  gazed  upon  it,  my  heart  was  throbbing  with 
fear  and  dismay  ! 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 


AN   ASTONISHED    CREW. 


I  TRIED  to  think  of  some  way  by  which  I  might  be 
enabled  to  make  reparation  for  the  loss  ;  but  my  reflec- 
tions were  only  foolish,  as  they  were  bitter.  I  owned 
nothing  in  the  world  that  I  knew  of,  —  nothing  but  my 
old  watch,  —  and  that  —  ha !  ha  !  ha  !  —  would  scarce 
have  paid  for  the  box  of  crackers  ! 

Yes,  —  there  was  something  else  that  belonged  to 
me, — and  does  still  (for  I  have  kept  it  till  this  hour), 

—  something  which  I  esteemed  far  more  than  the  watch, 

—  ay,  far  more  than  I  would  a  thousand  watches  ;  but 
that  something,  although  so  highly  prized  by  me,  would 
not  have  been  valued  at  a  single  sixpence.  You  guess 
of  what  I  am  speaking  ?  You  guess,  and  rightly,  that 
I  mean  that  dear  old  knife  ! 

Of  course,  my  uncle  would  do  nothing  in  the  matter. 
He  had  no  interest  in  me  farther  than  to  give  me  a 
home,  and  that  was  a  thing  of  choice,  rather  than  re- 
sponsibility. He  was  in  no  way  bound  to  make  good 
my  damages  ;  and,  indeed,  I  did  not  permit  myself  for 
a  moment  to  entertain  the  idea. 

There  was  but  one  thought  that  held  out  to  me  the 
slightest  hope,  —  one  course  that  appeared  to  be  tolera- 


AN   ASTONISHED    CREW.  349 

bly  rational.  It  was  this :  I  could  bind  myself  to  the 
captain  for  a  long  period.  I  could  toil  for  him  as  a 
boy-sailor,  —  a  cabin-boy,  —  a  servant,  —  anything  that 
would  enable  me  to  work  off  my  debt. 

If  he  would  only  accept  me  for  this  purpose  (and 
what  else  could  he  now  do,  —  unless,  indeed,  he  really 
did  toss  me  overboard  ?)  then  all  might  yet  be  right. 

The  thought  cheered  me  ;  and  I  resolved,  as  soon  as 
I  should  reach  the  captain's  presence,  to  make  the  pro- 
posal. 

Just  at  that  moment  I  heard  a  loud  stamping  noise 
above  me.  It  was  a  continued  series  of  thumps,  that 
resembled  the  heavy  footsteps  of  men  passing  backward 
and  forward  over  the  decks.  They  were  on  both  sides 
of  the  hatchway,  and  all  around  it,  upon  the  deck. 

Then  I  heard  voices,  —  human  voices.  Oh,  how 
pleasant  to  my  ears !  First,  I  heard  shouts  and  short 
speeches,  and  then  all  of  them  mingling  together  in  a 
chant  or  chorus.  Rude  it  may  have  been,  but  during 
all  my  life  never  heard  I  sounds  that  appeared  to  me  so 
musical  or  harmonious  as  that  work-song  of  the  sailors. 

It  inspired  me  with  confidence  and  boldness.  I  could 
endure  my  captivity  no  longer ;  and  the  instant  the 
chorus  ended,  I  sprang  forward  under  the  hatch,  and 
with  the  wooden  handle  of  my  knife  knocked  loudly 
upon  the  planks  overhead. 

I  listened.  My  knocking  had  been  heard.  There 
was  a  parley  among  the  voices  above,  and  I  could  dis- 
tinguish exclamations  of  surprise ;  but  although  the 
talking  continued,  and  even  a  greater  number  of  voices 
appeared  to  take  part  in  it,  no  attempt  was  made  to  take 
up  the  hatch. 


350  THE    BOY    TAR. 

I  repeated  my  knocking  louder  than  before;  and 
added  to  it  the  summons  of  my  voice ;  but  I  could 
myself  perceive  that  my  voice  was  tiny  and  feeble  as 
that  of  an  infant,  and  I  doubted  whether  it  could  have 
been  heard. 

Again  I  listened  to  a  volley  of  loud  exclamations  that 
betokened  surprise  ;  and  from  the  multitude  of  voices  I 
could  guess  that  the  whole  crew  was  around  the  hatch- 
way. 

I  knocked  a  third  time,  to  make  sure ;  and  then  I 
stood  a  little  to  one  side,  —  in  anxious  and  silent  expec- 
tation. 

Presently  I  heard  something  rubbing  over  the  hatches. 
It  was  the  tarpauling  being  removed  ;  and,  as  soon  as  this 
covering  was  taken  off,  I  perceived  that  light  shot  in 
through  several  chinks  at  the  joining  of  the  planks. 

But  the  next  moment  the  sky  suddenly  opened  above 
me ;  and  the  flood  of  light  that  poured  down  upon  my 
face,  rendered  me  quite  blind.  It  did  more,  —  it  caused 
me  to  faint  and  fall  backward  against  the  boxes.  I  did 
not  lose  consciousness  all  at  once,  but  swooned  gradually 
away  under  a  feeling  of  strange  bewilderment. 

Just  as  the  hatch  was  lifted  upwards,  I  noticed  a  ring 
of  rough  heads,  —  human  heads  and  faces,  —  above  the 
edge,  all  around  the  great  opening,  and  I  observed  that 
all  of  them  were  drawn  suddenly  back  with  an  expres- 
sion of  extreme  terror.  I  heard  cries  and  exclamations 
that  betokened  the  same ;  but  the  shouts  gradually  died 
upon  my  ears,  and  the  light  dimmed  and  darkened  in 
my  eyes,  as  I  lapsed  into  a  state  of  unconsciousness,  as 
complete  as  if  I  had  been  dead. 

Of  course,  I  had  only  swooned  ;  and  was  insensible 


AN   ASTONISHED    CREW.  351 

to  what  was  passing  around  me.  I  did  not  see  the 
rough  heads  as  they  reappeared  over  the  edge  of  the 
hatch  frame,  and  again  reconnoitre  me  with  looks  of 
alarm.  I  did  not  see  that  one  of  them  at  length  took 
courage,  and  leaped  down  upon  the  top  of  the  cargo, 
followed  by  another  and  then  another,  until  several  stood 
bending  over  me,  —  uttering  a  volley  of  conjectures  and 
exclamatory  phrases.  I  did  not  feel  them  as  they  ten- 
derly raised  me  in  their  arms,  and  kindly  felt  my  pulse, 
and  placed  their  huge  rough  hands  over  my  heart  to  see 
whether  it  was  still  beating  with  life,  —  no  more  did  I 
feel  the  big  sailor  who  lifted  me  up  against  his  breast 
and  held  me  there,  and  then,  after  a  short  ladder  had 
been  obtained  and  placed  in  the  hatchway,  carried  me 
up  out  of  the  hold  and  laid  me  carefully  on  the  quarter- 
deck :  I  heard  nothing,  I  saw  nothing,  I  felt  nothing,  till 
a  shock,  as  if  of  cold  water  dashed  in  my  face,  once 
more  aroused  me  from  my  trance,  and  told  me  that  I 
still  lived. 


CHAPTER   LXV. 

THE    DENOUEMENT. 

When  I  came  to  my  senses  again,  I  saw  that  I  was 
lying  upon  the  deck.  A  crowd  was  gathered  around, 
and  look  in  what  direction  I  might,  my  eyes  rested  upon 
faces.  They  were  rude  faces,  but  I  noticed  no  unkindly 
expression  in  any  one  of  them.  On  the  contrary,  I  per- 
ceived looks  of  pity,  and  heard  words  of  sympathy. 

They  were  the  sailors,  —  the  whole  crew  was  around 
me.  One  was  bending  over  my  face,  pouring  water  into 
my  lips,  and  cooling  my  temples  with  a  wet  cloth.  I 
knew  this  man  at  the  first  glance.  It  was  Waters,  — 
he  who  had  carried  me  ashore,  and  presented  me  with 
my  precious  knife.  Little  knowledge  could  he  have  at 
the  time  of  the  great  service  it  was  to  do,  —  and  had 
since  done,  —  me. 

"  Waters,"  said  I,  "  do  you  remember  me  ?  " 

He  started  at  my  words,  uttering,  as  he  did  so,  a 
sailor's  exclamation  of  surprise. 

"  Shiver  my  timbers  ! "  was  the  phrase.  "  Shiver  my 
timbers  !  if  'taint  the  little  marlin-spike  as  boarded  us 
a-port ! " 

"  Him  as  wanted  to  go  a  seelorin  ?  "  cried  several  in 
a  breath. 

"  The  same,  for  sartin." 


THE   DENOUEMENT.  353 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  "  it  is,  —  I  am  the  same." 

Another  volley  of  ejaculations  followed,  and  then 
there  was  a  momentary  silence. 

"  Where  is  the  captain  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Waters,  will 
you  take  me  to  the  captain  ?  " 

"  You  wish  to  see  the  capten  ?  —  he's  here,  my  lad," 
answered  the  big  sailor,  in  a  kind  tone  ;  and  then,  stretch- 
ing out  his  arm,  he  made  an  opening  in  the  ring  that 
encircled  me. 

I  glanced  through  this  opening.  I  saw  the  same  well- 
dressed  man,  whom  I  had  before  recognized  as  the  cap- 
tain. He  was  only  a  few  yards  off,  standing  in  front  of 
the  door  of  his  cabin.  I  looked  in  his  face.  The  ex- 
pression was  stern,  but  yet  it  did  not  awe  me.  I  fancied 
it  was  a  look  that  would  relent. 

I  hesitated  for  a  moment  what  course  to  pursue,  and 
then,  summoning  all  my  energy,  I  rose  to  my  feet,  tot- 
tered forward,  and  knelt  down  before  him. 

"  Oh  sir  !  "  I  cried,  "  you  can  never  forgive  me  !  " 

That,  or  something  like  it,  I  said.  They  were  all  the 
words  I  could  utter. 

I  no  longer  looked  him  in  the  face.  With  my  eyes 
fixed  upon  the  deck,  I  awaited  his  reply. 

"  Come,  my  lad  !  rise  up !  "  said  a  voice,  in  a  tone 
of  kindness ;  "  rise  up,  and  come  with  me  into  the 
cabin." 

A  hand  was  placed  upon  mine,  I  w^as  raised  to  my 
feet,  and  led  away.  He  who  walked  by  my  side,  and 
conducted  me  as  I  tottered  along,  was  the  captain  him- 
self!  This  did  not  look  like  giving  me  to  the  sharks. 
Was  it  possible  that  the  ending  should  be  of  this  merci- 
ful complexion  ? 


354  THE    BOY   TAR. 

As  I  passed  into  the  cabin,  I  beheld  my  shadow  in  a 
mirror.  I  should  not  have  known  myself.  My  whole 
body  was  as  white  as  if  it  had  been  limewashed  ;  but  I 
remembered  the  flour.  My  face  alone  was  to  be  seen, 
and  that  was  almost  as  white  as  the  rest,  —  white,  and 
M^an,  and  bony  as  that  of  a  skeleton  !  I  saw  that  suffer- 
ing and  meagre  fare  had  made  sad  havoc  with  my 
flesh. 

The  captain  seated  me  on  a  vsofa,  and,  having  sum- 
moned his  steward,  ordered  him  to  fill  me  out  a  glass 
of  port  wine.  He  uttered  not  a  word  till  I  had  drank 
it ;  and  then,  turning  to  me,  with  a  look  in  which  I  could 
read  nothing  of  sternness,  he  said,  — 

"  Now,  my  lad,  —  tell  me  all  about  it !  " 

It  was  a  long  story,  but  I  told  it  from  first  to  last.  I 
concealed  nothing,  —  neither  of  the  motives  that  had  led 
me  to  run  away  from  my  home,  nor  yet  any  item  of  the 
vast  damage  I  had  done  to  the  cargo.  This,  however, 
was  already  well  known  to  him,  —  as  half  the  crew  had 
long  since  visited  my  lair  behind  the  water-butt,  and 
ascertained  everything. 

When  I  had  gone  through  every  circumstance,  I 
M^ound  up  with  the  proposal  I  had  resolved  to  make  to 
him ;  and  then,  with  an  anxious  heart,  I  awaited  his 
response.     My  anxiety  was  soon  at  an  end. 

"  Brave  lad  ! ''  he  exclaimed,  rising  to  his  feet,  and 
going  towards  the  door,  "  you  wish  to  be  a  sailor  ?  You 
deserve  to  be  a  sailor  ;  and  by  the  memory  of  your 
noble  father,  —  whom  I  chanced  to  know,  —  you  shall 
be  a  sailor  !  " 

"  Here,  Waters  !  "  he  continued,  calling  to  the  big 
tar,  who  was  waiting  outside,  "  take  this  youngster,  have 


THE   DENOUEMENT.  oOO 

him  fresh  rigged  ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  is  strong  enough, 
see  that  he  be  proiDerlj  taught  the  ropes." 

And  Waters  did  see  that  I  was  taught  the  ropes,  — 
every  one  of  them,  and  in  the  proper  manner.  For 
many  years  afterwards  he  was  my  shipmate,  under  that 
same  kind-hearted  captain,  until  I  rose  from  the  condi- 
tion of  a  mere  "  boy  tar,"  and  was  rated  upon  the  InccHs 
books  as  an  "  able  seaman." 

But  my  promotion  did  not  end  there.  "  Excelsior  " 
was  my  motto  ;  and,  assisted  by  the  generous  captain,  I 
soon  after  became  a  third  mate,  and  afterwards  a  second 
mate,  and,  still  later,  a  first  mate,  and,  last  of  all,  a  cap- 
iain  ! 

In  course  of  time,  too,  —  still  better  than  all,  —  I  be- 
came captain  of  my  own  ship. 

That  was  the  crowning  ambition  of  my  life,  —  for 
then  I  was  free  to  go  and  come  as  I  pleased,  and  plough 
the  great  ocean  in  any  direction,  and  trade  with  what- 
ever part  of  the  world  I  might  think  proper. 

One  of  my  very  first  and  most  successful  voyages,  — 
I  mean  in  my  own  ship,  —  was  to  Peru  ;  and  I  remem- 
ber well  that  I  carried  out  a  box  of  bonnets  for  the 
English  and  French  ladies  resident  at  Callao  and  Lima. 
But  these  arrived  safe,  and  no  doubt  disgusted  the  eyes 
of  the  fair  Creoles,  who  were  expected  to  admire  them  ! 

The  crumpled  bonnets  had  been  long  ago  paid  for,  — 
so,  too,  the  spilt  brandy  and  the  damage  done  to  the 
cloth  and  velvet.  After  all,  it  did  not  amount  to  such  a 
vast  sum ;  and  the  owners,  who  were  all  generous  men, 
taking  the  circumstances  into  account,  dealt  leniently 
with  the  captain,  who,  in  his  turn,  made  the  terms  easy 


356  THE    BOY   TAR. 

for  me.  In  a  few  years  I  had  settled  for  all,  or,  as  we 
say  in  sailor  language,  "  squared  the  yards." 

And  now,  my  young  friends  !  I  have  only  to  add, 
that  having  sailed  the  seas  for  many  long  years,  and  by 
careful  mercantile  speculations,  and  a  fair  economy,  hav- 
ing acquired  sufficient  means  to  keep  me  for  the  re- 
mainder of  my  days,  I  began  to  grow  tired  of  wave  and 
storm,  and  to  long  for  a  calmer  and  quieter  life  upon 
land.  This  feeling  grew  upon  me,  every  year  becom- 
ing stronger  and  stronger ;  till  at  last,  unable  to  resist  it 
any  longer,  I  resolved  to  yield  to  its  influence,  and  an- 
chor myself  somewhere  upon  shore. 

For  this  purpose,  then,  I  sold  off  my  ship  and  sea 
stores,  and  returned  once  more  to  this  pretty  village, 
where  I  have  already  told  you  I  was  born,  and  where  I 
have  also  made  known  to  you,  that  it  is  my  intention  to 
die  ! 

And  now,  good-day !  and  God  bless  you  all ! 


THE  BND 


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